The Path of Broken Dreams
by The Key To Darkness
Summary: Nothing is ever as it seems. Is there any true separation between the dreams and the reality? The truth and the lies? The Light and The Darkness? Or are they all just two sides of the same coin, spinning in slow motion as life goes on? -"I made an oath to you... one that I plan to keep." {Slight AU; Some OC's; Follows 358 1/2 Days}
1. Nobody

_**The Path of Broken Dreams**_

**_Chapter I: Nobody_**

**Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Walt Disney. Not me. (I wish I did though.)**

**Here goes nothing! This is my first "actual" fanfiction so bare with me. Main character is Xathe. Can't explain who he is without spoilers so just read on to find out! Other Main Characters include: Roxas, Xion, Axel, Demyx, and Vanitas!**

**Warnings: Slight foul language, action violence, blood, and slightly suggestive themes.  
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Just a little side-note to tell you how this story came to be. I had the idea for Xathe a while ago... but I never put much thought into him. Then I got some good ideas for him, and I decided to write about him. No, this story doesn't always focus directly on him... but he's one of the main protagonists/antagonists. I actually wrote the first few chapters of this about two months ago. Just recently did I decide to fix it up and post it. Anyways, I hope you like my ideas and OC's. I've put much time and thought into this... but it's for my entertainment so I'm enjoying it!  
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[Chapter Song Inspiration: **__**New Divide **__**by Linkin Park]  
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Enjoy! -**_**The Key to Darkness**_

_**Day 1 and 155**_

_****__**-KtD**_

* * *

_This is a story about a young Nobody named, Xathe._

_Xathe is misunderstood from everyone; yet he's also used to it. His journey began long ago before his memories had been erased by an old friend. Who this friend was, he did not care anymore and didn't want to remember her. After his memories had been erased, he had become a new person... or at least he thought so. He had no idea who the person he once was, was like. He could be repeating the same course he was on in his past life, and end up in the same position he's in now._

_Whoever he is... and whatever he is... all Xathe knew, was this:_

_His new purpose was in Organization XIII now. He had to fulfill the duties, and meet the standards that his Organization had set for him. The only question was... could he do it all?_

_A new journey, for a new man, had begun..._

* * *

...

Xathe walks into the grey room of the Organization's "Castle-That-Never-Was" with his hood carefully covering his face.

He looks around at the members who remain of the Organization that Xathe watched be torn in half at Castle Oblivion.

A short-haired blonde man with an earring on his left ear and a short beard that matches his short hair. He stands by the room-covering window, playing with a deck of cards. His name is Luxord. Number X.

Xathe turns a bit to the right, to see the tall man, who helped drag him from Castle Oblivion, but without his hood on. He has long black hair, made into a high-ponytail with long side-burns that reach close to his chin. He sits on one of the gray couches with his head rested on the back of it. That's Xaldin. Number III.

Xathe then turns to the right side of the room.

He sees a man sitting on another one of the couches, playing a long, blue sitar with a strange shape to it. His hair is in some form of a spiky mullet and it's a dish-water blonde. His face shows he's easy-going and pretty passionate about life, unlike the others. His name is Demyx. He is Number IX.

Leaning against the right side of the wall-window, behind Demyx is a lean man with long black hair, made in a low-ponytail with silver streaks going through his hair. He was the other man who took Xathe from Castle Oblivion to Xemnas. He's Xigbar. Number II.

Then finally, right across from Xathe, in front of the window, is a mid-sized man with very-long blue hair that reaches down to his lower back and drapes over his shoulders. His hair spikes at the top-back of his head. He holds burning eyes of fierce gold… they look… almost angry. He also has a scar in the shape of an "X", in between his eyes, on his nose.

That is Saix. He is Number VII. He's also second-in-command.

Xathe was Number XV. His looks? Well, he has one of the black, leather Organization cloaks with his hood drawn over his face, just barely showing his blue eyes through the darkness, covering his face. Other than that, his looks were classified information.

* * *

Xathe takes one step forward when suddenly he hears behind him, "Darn! I overslept!"

Suddenly Xathe is knocked off his feet by a small object ramming into him, throwing them both to the floor and pulling Xathe's hood off of his head.

"Watch where you're going, pest!" he shouts, getting to his feet and pulling his hood back over his head before anyone can see his face.

"I'm so sorry!" the object apologizes, scrambling to its feet.

Scrambling to **her** feet.

"It's fine, but next time, it will be **just** you hitting the floor," Xathe growls, furiously.

"I'm sorry…" she whispers, dropping her head, sadly. Her hair is short and black. Her bangs hang freely into her ocean-blue eyes.

"Ugh… what are you late for, anyways?" Xathe asks, agitated.

"Oh, that's right! I have to get to Twilight Town! Me and Roxas always meet there after his missions!" She explains hastily.

"It's, 'Roxas and _**I**_'. Anyways, just go… you know, before your late," states Xathe.

"Right. Thanks!" she shouts, smiling and rushing away into a dark corridor portal.

"… Strange girl…" Xathe whispers to himself, walking over to Saix.

Saix looks up from his trance, suddenly gasping slightly at seeing Xathe.

"What? Cat caught your tongue?" Xathe asks, with slight sarcasm.

"Nothing," Saix deadpans.

"I can't stay here long, I have places to be. So what's Xemnas' orders?" Xathe asks, hastily.

"He asked for you to simply meet him in 'Where-Nothing-Gathers' as soon as you were prepared," Saix states, in monotone.

"Right,"

"So be on your way," Saix demands.

Xathe immediately backs up into a suddenly formed dark corridor and it disappears in a flash.

Saix looks down, deep in thought. A drop of sweat rolls down his forehead.

_'Who is that thing? There's no way that it could be __**him**__, could it? There has to be an explanation for this. But why would I see __**him**__ of all people? This is… very strange. I must take this up with Xemnas as soon as __**he**_ is gone,' Saix contemplates, mentally.

* * *

Xemnas sits on the tallest of the 13 empty thrones and holds his eyes closed in wait of another presence.

Suddenly, a pillar of darkness drops on the third throne to Xemnas' right.

The pillar fades to nothing and Xathe sits on the throne where the pillar dropped.

"Superior," Xathe greets, with a monotone.

"Welcome, XV." Xemnas smiles, slowly opening his eyes.

"Saix told me to come to you, and here I am,"

"Indeed. It's about time we faced this new blasphemer. And now that your training is finally complete… I'd say your about ready to eliminate this foe," Xemnas explains.

"But of course," Xathe smirks, excitedly.

"But, we want your existence to remain unknown. I want you to eliminate the traitor who dishonors our coats in the shadows. Do not get cocky. Do not go overboard. This is an assassination, not a brawl," Xemnas goes on.

Xathe nods.

"If you fail, may you fade with your defeat. Don't come back from a fight with him, without his false coat in your arms from his destruction."

"Yes, Superior… but who is this imposter?"

"We are uncertain. I have a good idea of who he may be, but either way he has just recently became a threat to our plan. And in so, he brought this upon him. Or her. Their blasphemy will be their destruction," Xemnas explains.

"Thank you, Superior," Xathe nods, disappearing from his seat in a flash of darkness.

Suddenly another pillar of darkness flashes down on a throne a few seats to Xemnas' left.

The pillar disappears, leaving Saix in the throne.

"Xemnas, I request your audience," Saix asks.

"Granted. Speak, Saix," Xemnas answers.

"Have you actually recruited Xehanort's old apprentice?" Saix asks.

"What are you speaking of?" Xemnas asks, confused.

"The newcomer. I do not know his number, nor his name… but he has the exact look of **that **apprentice," Saix explains, slightly on edge.

"Hmm… peculiar indeed…"

"What do you mean?" Saix asks, looking to Xemnas who is looking at the ground, in deep thought.

"To me… he appears as Tahe`," Xemnas explains.

"Is this simply a coincidence then? Or is it similar to the situation with the puppet?" Saix asks, looking down as well.

"But Xion is a Replica, the newcomer is a Nobody." A voice states, another dark pillar dropping Xigbar down in the throne next to Xemnas.

"You see someone else as well?" Xemnas asks.

"Yeah…" Xigbar mumbles.

Xemnas slowly smiles at Xigbar's answer.

"What? Do you know something that I don't?" Xigbar asks.

"I wouldn't say that," Xemnas states, his smile fading.

"We still have an important issue at hand, here," Saix growls.

"Of course, but I do not believe this matter to be a bad accident but a… _'pleasant surprise'_," Xemnas adds, smirking.

"As if," Xigbar grumbles.

Xemnas shoots him a harsh glare and Xigbar looks down quickly, shutting up instantly.

"Either way, we will address this situation, later. For now, go about your day," Xemnas demands.

_'The Superior won't give me the answers I'm looking for… and I know he has them… I'll just have to find them the old-fashioned way…' _Xigbar thinks, scowling as he transmits from his seat into darkness and disappears.

"I will address this with you later, then." Saix murmurs, disappearing in darkness as well.

"… A pleasant surprise, it is…" Xemnas smiles, his plan coming together in his mind.

* * *

**End of chapter. Did you enjoy it? Gotta love cliff-hangers too! Don't worry, the next chapter will be much more revealing. It gets deeper as the story progresses. I know it's kinda slow at first but it's gonna get a lot faster very quickly so you don't get bored with it (-.-). This story will most-likely surprise you… especially as the main-plot will come into view.**

**Reviews? They'd be much appreciated! No flames please! I respect constructive criticism to make this better, though! Please be a critic, for me! (:D)**

**Peace out, everybody! -**_**The Key to Darkness**_


	2. Enigma

**_Chapter II: Enigma_**

**Hi again, everyone. I really appreciate the new reviews that I've received!**  
**Xathe: Let me do the disclaimer this time! I'm the main character.**  
**Me: Umm… ok.**  
**Xathe: **_**The Key to Darkness **_**does not own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix or anything from Walt Disney even though he dreams about owning it… poor sap.  
Me: Thank you, Xathe, for that… insightful disclaimer… -.-'**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**It's My Life by Jon Bon Jovi**_**]**

**Enjoy Chapter Two! **_**-KtD**_

_**...**_

_**...**_

* * *

_**Day 155**_

...

Xathe steps out of his dark corridor and looks around him, hoping to spot the Organization imposter somewhere. He had to be somewhere! Xathe's mission was to hunt this idiot down and destroy him. Xathe was very confident that he could accomplish this goal... but the first part was going to be difficult.

"This mission... is going to be a lot of fun, isn't it...?" Xathe exasperates. To his surprise, he only takes a few steps before feeling a dark presence enter his senses. A slow, devious smirk slips across his unseen lips.

"There you are, coward..."

* * *

...

Xigbar steps out of a dark corridor formed in Beast's Castle. This was where he was assigned to go for his mission. He wasn't excited about doing a mission in the place... but he knew it was his duty. That was enough to get him pumped for a mission.

He looks down and thinks for a minute, "Oh, right. I was sent here to eliminate the infestation of Neoshadows. I guess I should get on that..."

Xigbar looks up and walks towards the entrance to the castle. The castle was quite large... but nowhere near the immensity of Organization XIII's Castle. Their Castle was practically a whole world. I mean... if you don't count the city below it. The city didn't exactly count as the Organization's property anymore though, considering the growing population of the Heartless there.

Xigbar hears footsteps coming from the entrance to the courtyard, which he was in. His eyes squint in suspicion as he turns around to find the intruder. Both Xigbar and the intruder had hoods covering their heads and faces, so neither could identify each other.

The intruder summons a sword and gets in fighting position. Whoever this guy was... he wasn't friendly.

"So you wanna fight, huh? Come and get some," Xigbar taunts.

The mysterious intruder growls as he charges at Xigbar, showing that the fight was on. Xigbar chuckles before he flips upside down into the air, defying gravity as he does so and summoning his arrow-guns.

The imposter leaps into the air with his sword drawn out to strike. Before he does so, Xigbar teleports behind him and blasts him in the back. The pain of the blast forces a yelp out of the young intruder's throat before he crashes into the concrete steps that lead to the Beast's Castle door.

Xigbar flips right-side-up and lands lightly on the ground. His eyes follow up the steps to the imposter, who has now stood straight and faces the door.

"Enough of this nonsense. Reveal who you are, imposter," Xigbar snarls.

He hears a familiar chuckle from the boy before he turns his head in Xigbar's direction, "How 'bout you reveal yourself first?" The voice was even more so familiar.

"As if!" Xigbar spits, firing another blast from his arrow gun. The boy dodges and the blast hits the door knob of the door behind the boy, shattering the lock on it. The door instantly swings open, to reveal the inside of the Castle. Both turn to the door and then to each other. Xigbar glares and rushes at the door. The boy does so as well, running in and disappearing in the shadow of the other door.

Xigbar flies in the door, only to meet the end of a sword with his face.

The boy appears in front of Xigbar as Xigbar is thrown back away from the door and hits the floor at where the steps end. He is put into a daze and doesn't notice the mysterious boy standing above him.

The imposter leans down and pulls Xigbar's hood off to find out who he is. As Xigbar regains his senses, he notices the boy to be shocked at seeing Xigbar's face. "What's... the problem?" Xigbar growls as he picks up his arrow guns and gets to his feet.

"Number II..." The boy gasps.

"What? How would you- Never mind this!" Xigbar shouts, shooting the boy in the chest.

The blast throws the boy away and against the steps once again. The boy scrambles to his feet and runs through the door again. Xigbar chases him, but before entering the door, he kicks open the other door so full light illuminates the room before him. It gets dead silent...

"Where are you...?" Xigbar whispers, walking in and keeping a steady finger on both triggers. He waits... for any type of movement...

A couple small footsteps are caught in Xigbar's hearing and he instantly fires both guns at the source of the sound. The purple blasts light up the dark corner of the room and he watches a Neoshadow fade into the air from his shots.

"Well... at least one of them is dead..." Xigbar chuckles. His laughing is put at a halt when he hears the boy walk down the steps at the end of the room. Xigbar's eyes follow up to where the steps were heard and, as he expected, he sees the imposter.

"Enough of this charade... just surrender and I can promise the minimum punishment..." Xigbar shouts up at him. '_The "minimum" being death..._' he snickers inwardly.

The boy shakes his head before summoning his sword again and rushing at Xigbar at full speed. "Or you can just... you know... attack me..." Xigbar sighs, before following the boy's actions. They run at each other, ready to strike the other down.

They get within meer inches from each other's throats... when the end of a large Claymore is shoved in between them. The sudden separation startles them both and they jump back and away from it. Xigbar looks up to see the Claymore in the hand of Saix. Saix interrupted the fight?!

"Saix? What in the world are you doing?!" Xigbar snarls. Saix turns to him and glares before turning to the imposter. His Claymore drops to his side and he uses his other hand to beckon the mysterious boy.

The imposter's head drops in shame before his weapon disappears and he approaches Saix. What was going on?!

"Why did you fight Xigbar, Number XV?" Saix asks, trying to keep his calm.

"Number XV? You mean to tell me that I was fighting the newbie, the whole time?" Xigbar gasps. This was... a surprise... for the lack of a better word.

Saix looks at him with question before looking to the ground to contemplate the events that transpired.

He suddenly smiles in realization of what most likely happened, "It appears... that you both thought that the other was the Organization imposter. When XV found out that you were Xigbar... he tried to run, didn't he?" asks Saix.

"Yeah... he did..."

"Well, it seems to me that, when you chased him down and then taunted him... you got his fire going. That must have been why he continued to fight, even after he knew who you were," Saix explains. This all made sense but... what the hell?!

Number XV... or "Xathe", as Xemnas once called him, looks up at Xigbar. His expression was hidden under his hood... but Xigbar could guess that it was probably either disgust or pride in himself. Both made Xigbar want to shoot him back down to earth from Cloud 9. He didn't like this new member... the guy just sent a weird vibe down Xigbar.

"This mission was an error... return to the Castle, immediately. Today's missions have now been cancelled for tomorrow," Saix demands, disappearing into a dark corridor. Xathe does the same, followed by Xigbar. Xigbar still had a look of suspicion when he disappeared though.

* * *

...

Riku watches the three Nobodies disappear into their dark corridors. He sighs in relief when they're gone.

"So... they're looking for me? Then looks like my performance isn't going too bad, after all," Riku chuckles, walking away from the scene. "I just need to be more subtle for now on. If I'm being chased... then I will have to stay hidden from Organization XIII."

With that, Riku walked away from the confusing scene.

* * *

_**Day 160**_

...

Xemnas stands at the top of the Castle That Never Was, staring up at Kingdom Hearts in longing. But soon his thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a dark corridor opening behind him. He smiles at knowing who it is. "Xathe... welcome."

Xathe stops and takes his hood off, "Hello, Superior. I bring news of my progress."

"Yes... I heard..." Xemnas sighs in disappointment. The whole scene was explained to him by Saix, after it happened. Xemnas wasn't... happy... about the mix-up.

"No, no. I'm here to report something I discovered before the big mix-up," Xathe explains.

"Ah... so you found something before the fight happened?" asks Xemnas.

"But of course. I discovered a strange scent of Darkness illuminating from a person who was hiding there, at the time. I visited the scene today, to check for the scent. I wanted to be sure it wasn't just a large Heartless..."

"And what did you discover?"

"It wasn't a Heartless. It would seem that the imposter knows we're hunting him down, and now he's on the road," Xathe answers. "Basically... he's going to be travelling to a lot."

"Hm... and where might he be, as of now?"

"Your guess would probably be as good as mine, sir..." Xathe trails off.

"That does not assist me, then. Be on your way... and I ask that you don't report anything else you find, unless it's the imposter, himself. Is that understood, XV?" Xemnas orders.

"Y-Yes, sir..." Xathe stammers. He turns around to walk away but then Xemnas speaks up.

"Oh, and Xathe..."

Xathe turns back around to look at him.

"Don't forget... your identity cannot be revealed to anyone, until you find the imposter."

Xathe nods quickly, "Right. I won't forget." He quickly opens a dark corridor behind him and rushes into it. The portal instantly fades away, leaving Xemnas to his thoughts.

"That boy needs to learn, soon, that Organization XIII only accepts total success. Half or quarter-way success isn't acceptable..."

* * *

...

Later that afternoon, Xathe walks down the hallway of The Castle That Never Was, cursing himself again and again for not finding the imposter, yet.

"What is wrong with me? I shouldn't be having this much trouble with finding a damn imposter! This guy should be an amateur compared to me. Hmm... I wonder... is it a problem with me... or an underestimation of the imposter?" Xathe contemplates aloud, to himself.

He was becoming agitated and impatient. Patience isn't, and never was, a stronghold of Xathe's. Perhaps he just needed to learn...

His thoughts are interrupted by the sight of a black-haired girl gazing out the window of the grey room. It was quite obvious that she was deep in thought...

'_Wait a second... isn't that the girl who ran into me a few days ago? Yeah, that's her. She is... Number XIV. Right. I think her name's... Shelby... or Sheen... or something like that..._' Xathe talks to himself. He decided that he would approach her... against Xemnas' wishes.

"What are you doing? Xathe asks, stopping a few feet behind her.

She was apparently too absorbed in her thoughts to hear Xathe's footsteps, "Eep!" she shrieks, putting a hand over her mouth as she spins around to see who came. Xathe raises an unseen eyebrow at her. She sighs in relief to see that it was just the mysterious boy she ran into the other day.

"Sorry. I didn't expect you to be there," she chuckles.

"That's fine... but I asked you a question..." Xathe adds.

"Huh? Oh. I'm just... thinking. You know..." she states awkwardly.

She was starting to make Xathe a little uncomfortable with talking to her. Wasn't it bad enough that he was even in the mood to say anything to her at all?

"Okay... say, what's your name, again? I didn't quite catch it, the last time we met."

She looks up at him and smirks, "Well... the last time we met, we didn't exactly have a graceful encounter. It was only a couple words..." she chuckles, again.

Xathe sighs, "That wasn't really the answer I was looking for..."

"Oh. My name's Xion. What's yours?" she asks curiously.

'_Xion! That's what her name was! Ha... I impress myself sometimes..._' Xathe boasts inwardly. "Umm... sorry. I'm not allowed to tell you... or anyone..."

Xion raises an eyebrow, "Why not?"

"Orders. You can ask Xemnas, if you want. I really don't feel like going into any detail about it, " he rubs the back of his head.

"Okay... was the hood an order, also?"

Xathe just remembered that it was over his head. Funny that he forgot in the first place, considering how hot he always felt with it on. "N-No... it's for my own reasons..."

Xion looks down, "Oh. Alright then... well, I have to go. It was nice meeting you," she smiles before walking away. Okay... that was a little too awkward for her taste...

What was that weird vibe that she got when they were talking? Whatever it was... it didn't feel right. She was curious to find out who he was... but she just hoped that he wasn't like the others. Who knows... maybe he's the kind of person that she wants to be friends with?

She hoped so. There was one thing that was for sure though...

"That guy is a real mystery..." Xion says to herself.

* * *

**So, how do you like it so far? Feel free to review and let me know how it is so far. But keep on reading!**

**I believe you will like this story, but if not, let me know what you think could be changed to improve it! I'll catch ya guys, later.**

**Peace out. -_KtD_**


	3. The Hunt

_Chapter III: The Hunt_

**Hey again! 'Tis me, again, **_**The Key To Darkness!**_

**Oh yeah, Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Square- blah blah blah, you get the idea. I own nothing other than: Xathe, any other OC, and the story.  
Xathe: I think it's the other way around as far as the "owning" part goes...  
Me: *sigh* Typical...**

**So without further-ado… I present… Chapter 3! :D**

[Song Inspiration: _Don't Stop__ Believin' __by Journey_]

**Enjoy! -**_**KtD**_

* * *

_**Day 171**_

_..._

Xathe walks into the grey room, looking around for Saix, but only to find Demyx playing his sitar.

"Number IX, where is Saix?" Xathe asks in monotone.

"He's in a meeting with Xemnas and a couple others. I got our orders already. And by the way, why are you so serious all the time?" Demyx asks, leaning back on his seat on the couch.

"What is it with you people? First, Number XIV quizzes me and now you? I'm serious, because, there's nothing to be jolly and nonchalant about! Why should I play around when there's work to be done?" Xathe shouts, angrily.

"Whoa! Easy, man! I was just trying to talk to you!" Demyx throws his hands up defensively.

"Ugh, listen. I've got things I need to do, alright?" Xathe growls, gripping the bridge of his nose.

"Alright, alright… but will you tell me why you wear your hood 24/7?" Demyx asks, hopefully.

"Look, once my job is finished… then you can ask whatever you want, alright?" Xathe offers, aggravated.

"Sure thing! And since we're partners on this mission… we can talk all we want!" Demyx gleams, getting up from his seat and stretching his limbs out.

Xathe's face suddenly lost color, _'I'm being forced to hunt the imposter with __**this**__ guy?'_

"Well! Let's hit the road, Jack!" Demyx proclaims, grabbing his sitar.

"My name isn't Jack…"

"… You are so weird…" Demyx face-palms.

"You would know wouldn't you?" Xathe teases, smirking.

"There it is! That's sarcasm! And you're not frowning anymore!"

Instantly, Xathe scowls again, turning his face to the ground, "Shut up!"

"Aaaand… now it's gone…" Demyx sighs, sarcastically dropping his arms and head in defeat.

"Ugh, let's just go."

"Sure thing," Demyx states, opening a dark corridor portal that they both disappear into.

* * *

...

Meanwhile, a meeting was taking place between several members of the remaining Organization XIII.

Xemnas looks over them all, checking the attendance of the invited members, "Where is Number VIII?" Xemnas growls.

"You know Axel…" Xigbar sighs.

Suddenly a dark pillar drops Axel into one of the thrones and Axel rubs the back of his head sheepishly, "Number VIII reporting, sir. Heh heh…"

"Late attendance is unacceptable, VIII." Xemnas states, slightly agitated.

"I know, I know. Anyways, you mentioned in the invitation, something about Xa-… err… about Number XV. Is something wrong with him?" asks Axel.

"That's what we're trying to figure out…" Saix answers, impatiently.

"I haven't even seen the lad…" states Luxord.

"Best you didn't… it doesn't concern you at the moment. So you are dismissed," Xemnas states.

"Great!" Luxord exasperates. Luxord disappears in another pillar of darkness, leaving Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Axel, and Saix.

"Anyways… I need to know something," Axel exclaims.

All attention goes to him.

"What is the purpose of Project XV? No. Cross that. What _**is**_ Project XV?" asks Axel.

Everyone is silent.

"Hey! I made sure the kid stayed alive and asleep. He didn't move an inch unless you ordered it. I think I at least deserve to know what's so important about the kid?" Axel growls.

"He is related to Xemnas…" Xaldin deadpans.

Axel turns to him with an expression of disbelief, "You can't expect me to fall for that?" Axel chuckles.

"_Technically…_" Saix corrects Xaldin.

Axel looks at Saix, slowly starting to believe them.

"Xathe's _**human**_: Tahe` had relations to my _**human**_: Ansem," Xemnas explains.

"But… how is he related to you?" asks Axel, confused.

"That is not for anyone, but myself, to know," Xemnas states, in a monotone.

"So, nobody knows, **really**, who this kid is, except for Xemnas?" Axel exclaims.

It gets silent in the room, confirming Axel's answer.

"Oh…well… proceed," Axel mumbles, slowly.

"Good. Now, today we have gathered to discuss my new plans for Project XV…" Xemnas begins, smiling at the plan in his mind…

* * *

...

The dark portal, Demyx and Xathe went into, opens up in The World That Never Was, below the Castle and they look around them.

"See him yet?" Demyx asks, hopefully.

"You're not getting out of this mission **that** easily," Xathe chuckles.

"Aww…" Demyx murmurs.

Xathe takes one step forward and is instantly stopped by a sudden flash blocking his vision. Another lost memory comes to him.

* * *

(**Flashback**)

_Xathe rushes quickly through the dark alley between those last two buildings of the street. His breathing is heavy and fast._

_Suddenly he's cut off by a dark portal opening in front of him and behind him. A cloaked man walks out of the one in front and another from the one behind._

_He's trapped._

_"Wait," the one in front pleads, removing his hood to reveal his blonde-spiky mullet and relaxed features._

_"What do you want from me?!" Xathe shouts, trying to catch his breath from the chase._

_"We just want to talk to you! Please? Just come with us and everything that's happening to you can be explained," Demyx explains._

_Xathe shakes his head in denial, "No! Explain to me now! How am I alive? Why do I feel so empty? Where is my heart? What am I supposed to do, now?!" Xathe asks, furiously and hastily._

_"This little game is over, Demyx. We were ordered to take him by force if he didn't comply," the hooded one, behind Xathe, growls._

_"Ugh… fine… I just didn't want to get my hands dirty…" Demyx grumbles._

_The man behind Xathe reaches out to grab his shoulder but Xathe ducks and back-kicks the man in the gut, throwing him back._

_Demyx sends several water clones at Xathe, forcing Xathe to retreat._

_Xathe quickly jumps back against the wall beside him as the water clones surround him._

_He instantly reacts, summoning his Keyblade and slashing through the clone directly in front of him. He continues on, rushing towards the wall on the opposite side of the alley, in front of him._

_Xathe gets a kick-start, running right up the wall like it was the floor. Demyx stares, surprised at Xathe's ability to run up walls. Xathe then plants his foot on the edge on the top of the building, back-flipping off the edge and onto the building parallel to it._

_He then rushes off, disappearing into the night._

* * *

Xathe grabs his throbbing head as he comes back to the present.

"Dude? Hello? Yo, man! What happened?" Demyx asks.

Xathe jumps at the sight of Demyx, because of the memory, but then settles down as he slowly picks himself up from the ground.

"How long was I out?" Xathe asks, in a low tone. He presses his fingers to his right temple in pain.

"You just hit the ground and came back. It had to of been only 10 seconds or so," Demyx explains.

"Oh… it was… just a head-rush. I'm fine," says Xathe, shaking his head of the dying-out pain.

"Ya sure you don't wanna go back to the castle?" asks Demyx, hopefully.

"… You're still not getting out of this, Number IX," Xathe chuckles.

Demyx laughs and they both turn and continue their search for the imposter.

* * *

"Yeah, recon has always been my thing, ya know? I'm not much of a fighter. Not cut out for it," Demyx goes on.

Xathe hated conversing, but it stopped Demyx from trying to secretly leave when Xathe wasn't looking, so he let Demyx carry on and on about Demyx, Demyx, and more Demyx.

Finally, Xathe decided to speak up, "I love to fight. It's thrilling. The rush I get when I watch my enemy rush at me with a challenging look. The sweet feeling of victory, when I see them drop to their hands in knees in defeat," Xathe explains, his pulse getting faster as he imagines it.

"But… what if you lose?" asks Demyx, slightly interested.

"Well… then I lose… not much more to say," Xathe deadpans.

"Yeah… but doesn't it suck?"

"More than you know…" Xathe murmurs.

"Then why take the chance? You could die,"

"That's life. It's a gamble. It's all about taking chances… even if one of the chances is death…"

"Ugh… you sound like Luxord!" Demyx scoffs, sarcastically.

They both chuckle at the comment and then it gets silent for a while as they patrol the streets of The World That Never Was.

"Ya gonna take it off?" asks Demyx, suddenly.

"Take what off…" answers Xathe.

"You know. The hood?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"No reason to do so."

"Sure there is!"

Xathe turns to Demyx, "Oh really?"

"Yeah. So we can get to know each other better."

"No," Xathe deadpans.

"Well, can you at least tell me what you look like?"

"I'm a Nobody."

"More specific than that, dummy," Demyx chuckles.

"Fine… but don't tell anyone, alright?"

"Sure!"

Xathe looks both ways, dramatically. He then turns to Demyx and whispers, "I'm a giant pink unicorn."

Demyx bursts out laughing and this even makes Xathe chuckle amusedly a little bit.

Demyx slowly gains back his control over his laughter and exclaims, "Come on! Be serious with me this time!"

"Fine. I don't know… I have blue eyes… most of the time… and black hair. That's pretty much it," Xathe explains.

"How old are you?"

"Hm. I really don't know. But I'm guessing I'm about... 15?" Xathe contemplates.

"15?! Jeez! You talk and act like you're in your twenties!" Demyx exclaims.

"Yeah, I'm about 15…"

"Heh… your Number and age are the same number... 15." Demyx chuckles to himself but it doesn't humor Xathe very much.

"Yeah…" Xathe agrees, awkwardly.

* * *

...

Demyx and Xathe walk out of a dark corridor opened in the Castle.

They found nothing in the dark world except for unusually hostile and large amounts of Neoshadows.

Demyx handled the searching and conversing while Xathe handled the hostilities. They both did their jobs well, together... surprisingly enough.

Xathe looks down in disappointment.

"Hey, don't sweat it, man! You have good days and you have your bad ones," Demyx exclaims, attempting to cheer him up.

"That's not good enough…" Xathe deadpans, walking away towards the long hallway in front of them.

"Hey… uhh… what's your name?" Demyx asks.

Xathe turns his head, looking at Demyx over his shoulder.

"You never told me…" Demyx rubs the back of his head, sheepishly.

"I don't even know anymore…"

"Aww, come on! Don't give me that."

"… Xathe…" Xathe whispers, walking away.

Demyx remains silent until Xathe is gone.

When Xathe leaves Demyx's eyes pop open in shock.

_'There's no way… so… we finally got him to join us? Well… that's somewhat comforting… but how come he's (at least) __**this**__ comfortable with me, knowing that I hunted him down and attacked him? Unless… he somehow forgot…' _Demyx contemplates, mentally.

* * *

...

Xathe walks into the grey room… for some reason, hoping, some-what, that someone would be there.

Nobody was. But then suddenly, a dark corridor opens in the center of the room and a boy with the Organization coat on walks out of it with a look of embarrassment on his face. He has very-spiky blonde hair and ocean-blue eyes similar to Xathe's. But he looks… strangely… very familiar to Xathe.

"Who are you?" Xathe growls.

"What? I-I'm Roxas. Who are you?" Roxas asks.

"That's none of your concern. But your late. Why?"

"Nobody else ever worried about me being late…"

"Well, I'm asking, now. So answer the damn question, already," Xathe spits, hastily.

"I was out, eating ice-cream with Axel and Xion…"

One of those two names burn into Xathe like a hot flat-iron on his skin.

"Axel… Axel has returned from Castle Oblivion?" Xathe asks, confused.

"Yeah… he's been back for a few days now…" says Roxas, scratching the back of his head, confused.

"Axel's an…" he looks down "…acquaintance of mine…" Xathe states, slowly.

"Okay…"

"…Sorry I yelled at you. Thanks for the info," Xathe walks away, back down the hallway.

Roxas looks down, in question. He soon gives up and walks away.

* * *

...

Xathe walks into his room, getting onto his bed and closing his eyes.

_'Tomorrow… I will find you…' _Xathe proclaims to himself.

And for the first time in almost a year… Xathe finally fell asleep.

* * *

**Okay? That's the end of Chapter 3. Hope you enjoyed! Even though I don't really need to say it, I will anyways. Please review or give any ideas or suggestions that could help improve the story. No flames, as usual. The comments are much appreciated.**

**Anyways! Thanks, everyone! -**_**KtD**_


	4. Riku

**_Chapter IV: Riku_**

**Yo! I'm back with another chapter! I'm having a lazy day, today, so yeah… two chapters up today! :D**

**{Warning}: Graphic language used in this Chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own everything about Kingdom Hearts! Ha ha ha ha! –Police throw me in a jail cell- Never mind…**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**Time of Dying **__**by Three Days Grace]**_

**Here we go! **_**-KtD**_

* * *

_**Day 200**_

...

The next day, Xathe awakened and did his usual routine: asking Saix for his orders and waiting for his partner to come.

Saix told Xathe that he would be paired up with Xion to continue his search for the imposter. Xathe was angered and asked for a different partner than the "pest". But Saix lectured him about not questioning his superiors and Xathe got stuck with Xion anyways. Xathe was hasty about finding the imposter so he hurried Xion into his dark corridor and they left the grey room.

* * *

...

Xathe and Xion come out of their dark corridor into the afternoon hours of Twilight Town.

Xathe immediately looked around the alleyway that they were in.

"Hey…" Xion asks, quietly.

"What?" Xathe answers, hastily.

"Do you have a name?"

"Everything that exists has some sort of name to it… so yeah,"

"… So what is it?" Xion asks.

"You can call me, XV."

"That's not a name!" Xion huffs.

"It's what I am…"

"Never mind… but you will tell me later…"

"Sure thing, pest," Xathe chuckles, turning to her with his arms crossed, giving up on searching the alley.

"Pest?" Xion's face scrunches up in agitation.

Xathe suddenly starts chuckling.

"What?"

"Your face,"

Xion puts her hand over her face in surprise, "What about my face?!"

"Nothing. You're just cute when you're angry," says Xathe, returning to seriousness and walking away.

Xion hides her blush and follows him.

* * *

Xathe's hood still covers his head and face. It annoyed Xion to the core. She wanted so badly to know what he looked like.

Was he ugly? Beautiful? Young? Old? White? Tan? Black? It was all so confusing and the questions ate at her.

She suddenly got an idea.

He was too busy searching hidden areas throughout the town as they did recon to even take notice of her existence. He wouldn't even notice that she took his hood off until it happened.

Xion grinned mischievously at her idea as she prepared herself.

She began putting it into action, acting completely casual, as usual. She slowly walked right up beside him as he brought his head around a corner, hoping to find the imposter.

Xion slowly brought her hand up and steadied herself behind Xathe.

Xathe brings his head up a bit and Xion quickly and precisely shoots her hand out towards the rim of his hood.

Right as her fingers barely caress the leather fabric of the hood, Xathe's hand shoots up with amazing reflexes, gripping her wrist tightly as her fingers wrap around the rim of his hood.

She shrieks and tries her hardest to get out of his grip as he turns his head to the side to look at her. The sunlight beams onto them from behind so his face is shown faintly.

Xion stops trying to escape and takes in every detail of his face in just a few seconds.

Fine facial features he had. Light, tan skin. He had regular but fine-sized lips. His cheekbones could slightly be seen and made his face seem more detailed. He had a triangular, well-proportioned jaw and black-bangs hung in his eyes from the hood cover.

His eyes. They were a captivating crystal-blue that seemed to hold millions of diamonds floating in the middle of a vast ocean of royal blue and a hole of darkness in the center, holding thousands of untold secrets.

As fast as he turned to her, he turned again, releasing her wrist and she falls backwards.

"Nice try, pest," Xathe chuckles.

"Y-You're beautiful…" Xion gasps.

Xathe turns to her again, this time his whole body turns to her. She couldn't see it, but she knew pain was in his features. He simply shakes his head and walks away. Xion quickly gets up and they resume their mission as if nothing happened.

* * *

"Let's split up…" Xathe deadpans.

"Huh?" Xion asks. She was deep in thought and didn't exactly hear what he said.

Xathe turns and glares at her, "Let's split up. We'll finish our mission faster if we check different places at once," he explains.

Xion nodded and they split up… but Xion knew the real reason he split them up. He was upset with Xion for her comment. And he was upset in the fact that someone knew what his face was like. She could tell that he wished his face could be erased so that nobody would have to care about how he looked.

"It's no use, now," Xion gives up, and continues her recon.

* * *

_'This is pathetic! The pest is nothing but trouble. And now she knows my face. This is just great… just damn great,'_ Xathe curses his life, mentally as he searches.

Suddenly, he hears a short scream, downtown and growls.

"Fuck my life…"

* * *

Xion walks down the stairs into the alley close to the sandlot but still downtown.

She sighs when she sees nothing suspicious except for garbage laying around in boxes that could easily be destroyed.

Xion turns around at the sound of footsteps and a man with an Organization coat and long, silver hair with a blindfold around his eyes comes down the steps with a scowl on his face.

"We need to talk," the man deadpans.

He was definitely not in the Organization… so why was he wearing the coat…

The imposter…

Xion screamed out, drawing forth her Keyblade.

* * *

Xathe rushes into the downtown area and quickly looks from left to right until he hears the sound of a weapon being drawn out.

"Xion!" yells Xathe.

He quickly rushes towards a large alley and holds his hand out by his side while the other moves with his sprint.

* * *

The silver-haired imposter takes a step forward, making Xion back-up a step.

"All I want is to talk…" he growls, impatiently.

"But… you're the-"

"I know…" he slowly smiles and Xion growls in frustration, preparing to fight.

The silver-haired man rushes at her with his sword unsheathed and ready to strike her down.

Xion pulls her Keyblade back but as the imposter slashes at her a flash of black and indigo separates her and the imposter. Suddenly, the sound of two people hitting the ground came into Xion's ears.

* * *

…

Xathe rushes down the steps and in a flash, all his power surges out in an aura of black and indigo. Instantly he jumps between a strange silver-haired man and Xion as the silver-haired man prepares to attack Xion.

He swings his blade swiftly, feeling it connect with the stranger but he also feels the stranger's sword accidently connect with him and they both fly away from each other and crash into different spots in the alley.

* * *

…

Xion slowly opens her eyes and sees Xathe steadily getting up from the ground, leaning against the building beside him for support while the imposter tries to stand and catch his balance from dizziness.

Xathe slowly chuckles as he turns to Xion's direction with an obvious smirk, "Well done, Xion. You've outdone yourself, this time," his chuckle slowly turns to a low laugh. The first laugh Xion has ever heard from Xathe.

"You've got some nerve to- What?!" The imposter gasps.

Xathe raises an eyebrow at him, "What's the matter with you?"

"S-S-Sora?"

"Jeez… how hard did I hit you? You're obviously seeing things…"

"No… you're not Sora. Sora doesn't act like that. And your hair is different,"

Xathe gives him a look that clearly says, _"Seriously?"_

"Who are you?!"

Xion looks between the two of them in confusion.

"Well… I guess it's about the time for my big introduction," Xathe chuckles.

"What?" Xion asks.

Xathe slowly removes his hood, revealing his wild, spiky black hair. It is shaggy on most of his head, but about six to seven dramatic spikes of hair point off in a diagonal angle towards the right. His bangs are long at the sides of his face and short in between on his forehead. The back of his head is short at the lower half and spiked-up slightly towards the upper half.

His features were the same as before but this time they're magnified from the fading sun-light and his glowing blue eyes are even more radiant than before.

"My name is Xathe. I am Number XV of the Organization." Xathe introduces himself. He crosses his arms and waves one finger at the imposter and Xion while closing his eyes, "But you don't know that!" he chuckles lightly, opening his eyes again and giving a teasing smirk.

"Xathe?" the imposter sounds out.

"But of course," Xathe chuckles.

"Xathe…" Xion sounds out as well.

Xathe uncrosses his arms and his scowl returns, "As I said."

It gets silent for a moment as Xathe walks over and picks up Night Wanderer, spinning it around his hand for a few seconds and then stopping. The blade end now faces down at the ground in his grip, while the bottom faces up. "Now… let's begin,"

"I don't understand this… but either way you will pay for stealing the looks of Sora!" The imposter growls.

_'But… he looks nothing like this… Sora-person,' _thinks Xion.

Xathe remains silent for a minute and then his eyes widen slightly as he turns his whole body in the imposter's direction.

"You're the imposter? Is that you, Riku?" Xathe asks, slightly surprised.

"Y-You know my name?" asks the imposter.

"But of course. I remember you from Oblivion," Xathe explains.

"Castle Oblivion?"

"Yeah. We never met in person, but I heard about you and I met your Replica so I guess you could say we have met before in a way,"

Riku gets silent.

"Either way, I've had enough of hunting you down. I never thought I'd get the chance to fight you but…" Xathe pauses.

Xathe looks down, closing his eyes.

"This should be one heck of a night."

A flash of darkness releases from his body and he slowly brings his head up.

He suddenly opens his eyes, revealing his eyes to have changed suddenly to amber-yellow. A confident smirk crosses his lips.

He gets into a ready-position, pulling his sword into reverse-grip pose.

Riku growls in aggravation, pulling his bat-wing-like sword up, aiming forward right by his ear.

Xathe suddenly stands, straight and relaxed, "Gonna be pretty hard to fight me with that ugly rag on your face," Xathe snickers.

"That's none of your concern!" Riku shouts, rushing at Xathe and bringing his sword down in a quick strike.

Xathe reacts instantly by countering the slash with a strike from his sword and does an incredible back-flip all the way up to the roof-top of the building around the alley. Riku and Xion stare up to him as he aims his sword down at Riku. Suddenly a flash, gleams from the tip of the blade. Suddenly the gleam grows an ominous look about it as it turns indigo.

Riku leaps back as the gleam turns into a pulse of dark energy that explodes on the ground where it hits.

Riku quickly gets back into fighting position and Xathe looks up to the sky as the sun goes completely down, revealing the heart-shaped moon of Kingdom Hearts far off in the sky. It was only for a little while that night crept over Twilight Town before the sun came back up.

Xathe was always stronger in the night. The darker the world around him, the stronger his abilities. One hour, the darkness would stay over the small town for one hour and the light would return.

Xathe whispers to the darkened sky, "One hour you give, but five minutes is all I'll need…"

Xathe looks down again, bringing his sword behind him as he leaps into the air and glides down towards Riku with a cloud of darkness quickly following him.

Xathe brings his blade down on Riku's newly-formed Barrier and sparks shoot everywhere from the impact.

It seems to go in slow motion as the blade slides down the barrier and Xathe spins around, carrying the recoil and delivering it into another harsh blow that eliminates the barrier and throws Riku into the wall behind him.

Normal speed returns as Xathe, after Riku is pinned against the wall, turns his slash into a swift jab that Riku attempts to dodge. He succeeds but the serrated edge of the Night Wanderer nicks his arm and he trips and falls to the floor.

Xathe spins his sword around and then rests the shaft over his shoulder, "Defeat is a bitch, isn't it?" Xathe laughs.

"You would know. And are about to know, smart-ass," Riku growls, standing to his feet and disappearing.

It gets dead silent and Xion watches the fight closely.

Xathe closes his eyes and smirks, "The night is not on your side, friend," Xathe exclaims

"…That's **my** occupation," Xathe deadpans.

Rapidly, Xathe spins around and hacks at the air, projecting Riku from nowhere to the ground.

Riku stands up again. "Leave fighting to the experts. Hint, hint?" boasts Xathe.

"You're so cocky…" Riku chuckles, turned away from Xathe.

"You can't make that call… because I can back my talk with my walk. Can you say the same?" Xathe asks. This leaves Riku silent.

"Yes."

"Huh-" Xathe is interrupted by Riku's blindfold instantly unwrapping and Riku spinning around in a slash to Xathe's face, pummeling him to the ground.

Xion gasps from the amount of speed and power, put into the strike.

Xathe lays on the ground, unconscious and his head dropped to the side. Xion rushes to him but Riku stops her by throwing his arm and blade out in front of her.

"Don't bother," Riku threatens, his voice strangely deep.

She backs up a few feet as Xathe gets to his feet, rubbing his jaw.

"Okay. Didn't see that one coming... Let's proceed with this horror show," Xathe proclaims, wincing in slight pain.

They both rush at each other, their blades clashing together in a collide of steel against steel. Their swords swing into one another again and again in a flurry of sparks and magic.

They suddenly back up and then shoot in once again, clashing hard into each other.

Xathe growls in distress while Riku grunts and pushes to gain control of the battle. They finally both give in and leap away from each other.

The battle rages on for several more minutes before they both disappear in a flash of darkness.

Xion looks around for them when suddenly Xathe appears, bringing his blade from over-head to the ground with a battle cry.

His breathing becomes rough and he slowly stands up straight, looking around him in confusion.

"Where is h- Xion!" screams Xathe.

"What?!"

Xion is taken by surprise by Riku randomly appearing and rushing at her at full speed with his weapon ready to strike her to the ground.

Xion knows she has no time to get out her weapon and nowhere to run… what can she do?!

All her thoughts are interrupted by Xathe suddenly jumping in front of her in a flash and Riku's blade slashing him instead of her.

Riku jumps back and Xion gazes in shock at Xathe, who kneels over from the impact of the blade.

"X-Xathe?"

Xathe slowly stands up and looks at her but then turns to Riku who wraps his blindfold back over his eyes as his blade disappears from his hand.

"God… damn… him…" Xathe curses, his eye twitching in pain as he struggles to hold himself up.

Finally, he loses control over his consciousness and his knees buckle underneath him. He falls to his knees and then onto his face as his eyes turn back to blue again.

"Game over," Riku deadpans, walking away and disappearing around the corner of the alley as the sunrise starts to come up over Twilight Town.

"Xathe! Xathe, are you alright?" Xion asks, panicking.

_'That's a stupid question… of course he's not!'_ she yells at herself, inwardly.

"Don't worry. I'm going to get you back home."

Xion slowly lifts his arm over her shoulder and struggles to lift him up. She holds her hand out and forms a dark corridor, pulling him into a better position and then she walks into it.

The corridor disappears instantly.

Meanwhile, Riku watched them leave, from a roof-top.

"Next time we meet… I will get my answers," Riku quietly proclaims.

Riku then, turns around and simply walks away, leaving the battle that happened there behind, forever.

* * *

**Chapter ends here. Review or not, hope you're enjoying the story.  
****Xathe: I just keep getting better and better! :D  
Me: That's coming from the guy who just got owned by Riku…  
Xathe: T.T  
Riku: Loser… :P**

**Peace out. -**_**KtD**_


	5. Friends

**_Chapter V: Friends_**

**I decided I'm gonna talk less and write more for the sake of time and annoyance. XD**

**So anyways, here comes Chapter 5! I hope you all-  
Xathe: Shut up and get to the damn story!  
Me: O.o**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**Shooting Star **__**by Owl City]**_

**Have fun! -**_**KtD**_

* * *

_**Day 212-213**_

_..._

_..._

**-Xathe's P.O.V.-**  
_  
Black surrounds me. Everything so dark._

_It's actually very familiar to me… I went through it in a coma… I can get through it again._

_Wait, what if I'm dead? Is this the Darkness that I have been consumed by? Have I returned to my maker, the Darkness?_

_I hope so. But… why do I still retain my thoughts if I am dead? This must mean I'm still alive._

* * *

_..._

_"Of course, you're alive, idiot!" a deep voice growls in disgust._

_"What?" Xathe asks the darkness around him._

_Suddenly a small glimpse of light comes into view, covering a teen boy with wild, spiky, raven-black hair and piercing amber eyes._

_"Who are you?" Xathe asks, confused._

_"Who do you think I am?" he asks back, tapping two fingers against his temple._

_Xathe looks down with deep thought._

_"Ugh! You're hopeless! I apparently haven't helped you enough…"_

_"Helped me?" asks Xathe, looking up._

_"Yeah. I am trying to help you get your memories back… but I can only baby you so much before you have to figure it out for yourself," the mysterious boy explains._

_"Do you… know who I am?"_

_"I don't know. Tell me what you know and maybe we can learn a little more about each other," the boy smirks, teasingly._

_"But… you basically said that you already knew me…" Xathe trails off before the teen taps two fingers on his temple again, this time with sarcasm._

_"Oh… you're playing with me…"_

_"Gotta have a little fun with you. But I was serious about you telling me what you know."_

_"My name is Xathe. I am somewhere around 15 years old… umm…"_

_The teen winces a bit, hoping that's not all Xathe knows by now._

_"… I used to be somebody else. I… lost my memories because of my best-… ex-best friend, Namine`," Xathe goes on._

_"Is that all?" The teen asks, with slight disappointment._

_"I remember being somehow, put in a coma?" Xathe adds._

_"Yeah. You can thank me, partly for that," The teen smirks._

_"Wait! You put me in a coma? Why?! And why would I thank you? And how did you do it?" Xathe asks, hastily._

_"Slow down! God, you're giving me a headache!" The teen growls._

_"Well… ugh… just start explaining!"_

_"I'm err-…'residing' inside of you."_

_"Inside of me?"_

_"Yeah. If it makes you feel any better, I'm dead, too. Well, my body is. My heart is the one inside you. That's how I'm talking to you right now," he goes on, __"Well… when your life began… my life ended. And when you were still a human, we knew each other," the boy explains._

_Xathe looks down, in confusion, "We've met before?"_

_"Sort of. You didn't like me very much though… but now it's different because you're not Tahe`."_

_Xathe suddenly becomes suspicious, "Why didn't I like you?"_

_The teen shrugs, "Personal reasons. We were very different back then. But nobody likes me, so it didn't really faze me."_

_"Welcome to my world…"_

_A mysterious, sly smirk slips across the boy's lips, "You and I are a lot alike, Xathe. I…" he pauses, "… think it might mean something."_

_"What?" Xathe's eyes furrow in confusion._

_"Expect a little more 'help' from me later. But you won't see any more from me unless you're sleeping," the boy says, hastily._

_"But wait. How are you inside of me?"_

_"You contain my heart! What don't you get by that?" he spits, harshly._

_"Um, everything about it! I'm a Nobody and I have no heart! How can I be holding yours if I can't express emotions of my own-"_

_"Emotions. That's your problem. You keep thinking they're your memories of emotions…"_

_"W-What?"_

_"All I will tell you is this: think harder. How can you express memories of emotions, if you don't have any memories, period?"_

_"I-I don't under-.."_

_"Well figure it out then, idiot!" The boy shouts, starting to fade away into transparency._

_Xathe looks around him in confusion, to see light starting to fill his vision and the teen fading away with each second._

_"Wait! I never caught your name-!"_

* * *

…

Xathe's eyes open to the dim light of the dull, gray room around him. He sits up, quickly, his chest starting to pound excitedly from the encounter he had with the mystery boy.

Suddenly he hears a yell down the hallway.

"Damnit, Axel!" the voice shouts, followed by a muffled laughter.

Xathe gets out of his bed and opens the door of his room, peering out, down the hallway to see the light on in the grey room, down the hallway. Xathe slowly tip-toes down the hall and peeks in.

The sight before him stuns him. It was the normal lounging room, like always, but that's not what was surprising about it.

He saw Xion pulling Roxas back away from Axel as Roxas reaches out for him in an attempt to kill him. Axel leans against one of the steel tables, smirking as he flips a coin into the air, amused.

Luxord watches the scene, leaned back in his couch, beside the coffee table that Axel is leaned against. Demyx sits away from the scene, on the far end of the longer couch, defending his sitar from damage.

"Should have tried harder, Roxy!" Axel coos, teasingly.

"Stop cheating me out of my munny, you jerk! It's not fair!" Roxas shouts, trying to break Xion's lock around his torso.

"Calm down, Roxas! It's just a game! We all know Axel is a loser, calm down!" Xion shouts, nervously.

"Uhh…" Xathe stutters, coming in the room.

Suddenly everyone freezes in their spots and look to Xathe with nervous expressions on their faces.

Xion lets go of Roxas and Roxas turns to Xathe, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head, sheepishly.

"Hi Xathe…" Xion greets, embarrassed.

"What's… going on…?" Xathe asks, awkwardly.

"Axel cheated me out of my munny… again!" Roxas glares at Axel and Axel snickers, sticking his tongue out, tauntingly.

"They were playing a card game with Luxord and Axel cheated…" Xion explains, looking to the floor.

It turns into an awkward silence.

…

Suddenly, Xigbar drops from the ceiling, turning right-side up as he does so.

"Ooo! Saix is gonna be so pissed!" Xigbar snickers.

Everyone looks to him and his eyes widen at the sight of Xathe.

"So… it's you again? And you finally took your hood off, I see?" Xigbar glares, becoming dangerously serious.

"Yeah. Still seeing things?" Xathe counters.

"I'm not seeing things. I stated fact. I'm not the only one who sees it, you know. A couple people see it as well."

"Really? I still think it's just that eye-patch of yours…" taunts Xathe.

"You little-!" before Xathe even knows it, a flash from Xigbar's hand summons his arrow-gun and Xathe's Keyblade comes into his hand. Xathe's eyes flash yellow and then everything turns into a blur.

Xathe's eyes return to their original color as the blur fades away.

Xathe looks to see Xigbar picking himself from the floor and grabbing his shoulder in pain.

"What… the h-hell is wrong w-with you?" Xigbar growls, deeply and angrily.

"What… what just happened to me?" Xathe gasps.

He turns around to see Luxord pulling Xathe behind him, lightly and then he walks over to help Xigbar up.

"Xigbar's fine. He's just having a rough week," Luxord explains, as he helps Xigbar over to the hallway.

"Get off me, Luxord," Xigbar demands, turning to Xathe, while checking his shoulder for pain. He rotates the joint and then lets it go.

"Who are you, tiger?" Xigbar asks, seriously.

"My… my name is…" he pauses.

"His name is Xathe…" Xion finishes for him.

Everyone turns to Xion and then to Xathe who nods, in confirming her statement.

"Alright. Well… Xathe… how 'bout we start over?

"Start over?" asks Xathe.

"Yeah. Let's start over from our previous encounter. So we can be allies again," Xigbar explains

"Sure…" Xathe smirks, agreeing. This was about the closest thing to a smile that he could show.

"Cool…" Xigbar smirks, shaking his head from the thought of still seeing Vanitas.

"I'm gonna hit the sack, everyone. Seeya," Xigbar waves once, walking away and disappearing down the hallway. Luxord follows Xigbar, deciding to go to bed as well.

_'He may act like Vanitas and look like Vanitas… but he's not Vanitas. He's Xathe. I gotta get that straight in my head,' _Xigbar tells himself.

* * *

…

Xathe sits in one of the couches that is now scooted away from the table that everyone else sits at.

Axel leans forward in his chair and opens his mouth to speak. Everyone looks at him, except for Xathe who simply stares at the floor, deep in thought.

"Hey guys! Who do you think is the strongest one here, among the five of us?" Axel asks, getting excited.

Everyone looks around between the number of them.

"I don't know," Demyx shrugs, tuning his sitar.

"I'm pretty strong," Roxas suggests.

"I don't think you're as strong as I am, though, Roxas," Axel taunts.

"Oh yeah? We both know I'm the stronger one, Ax."

"I think you're both idiots," Xathe butts-in.

This makes Xion and Demyx start laughing while Axel and Roxas glare at him. Xathe slowly starts chuckling.

"Oh, I know! How about we have an arm-wrestling competition?!" Axel suggests, standing up.

"That's a cool idea," Demyx smiles.

"Sure," Roxas agrees.

"I honestly do not care," Xathe shrugs.

"Great! Then it's settled! Roxas and I will go at it, while Demyx and Xathe go at it! And then the winner of both bouts go against each other," Axel adds.

"What?! You're literally dragging me into this?" Xathe asks, dumbfounded and standing from his seat.

"Duh… so let's-"

"Umm… what about me?" Xion asks.

"Oh yeah… well… you can face against the over-all winner," Axel explains, making Xion nod, understanding.

"I'll go easy on you, Xion," Roxas snickers.

This makes Xathe mad, "Hey, who says you'll be the one she's going against?" Xathe spits.

"Whoa, Xathe… jealous, are we?" Axel teases.

Xathe's face turns cherry red in embarrassment, "Shut up! No I'm not!" he yells, punching Axel in the arm. Everyone starts laughing except for Xathe but Xion's face turns red as well.

"Ugh, shut up and start, already…" Xathe grumbles, crossing his arms again and sitting down.

Axel and Roxas get on the floor and place their arms on the hard surface of the coffee table, locking hands.

Axel smirks, confidently and Roxas returns the gesture, chuckling.

Xathe looks up as they count to "3" and then start.

"Come on, Roxas!" Xion cheers.

"You've got this, Axel," Demyx says, confidently.

They push at each other with great force, making Xathe smirk with amusement.

Axel starts to sweat profusely as Roxas gains the upper-hand. Roxas grunts loudly as he slowly pushes Axel's hand to the table's surface.

Axel's hand shoots back from the table as he frowns from losing. Xion and Roxas high-five from his victory. Demyx sighs in disappointment as he stretches his good arm out in preparation for Xathe.

"You got lucky that time, Roxas. Next time, I won't be so worn out," Axel excuses.

"Sure thing, Axel," Roxas laughs. Everyone joins in the small laughter except for Xathe who simply stands with a scowl as he walks over to the spot Axel kneeled in.

He shoves Axel to the side, lightly and then sits on his heels on the floor, waiting.

Demyx smiles confidently, kneeling down on one knee in the spot Roxas was in, putting his elbow on the table.

Xathe does the same and they grip each other's hands and then Demyx starts counting, "One… Two… Three… Go!"

Demyx instantly shoves as hard as he can on Xathe's forearm but he doesn't budge an inch.

"You need to learn how to arm wrestle properly…" sighs Xathe.

Demyx grunts and growls as he shoves as hard as he can. He finally brings his other arm into it and starts to shove Xathe's arm down. A sweat drop rolls down Xathe's head as Demyx starts to cheat, forcing Xathe into action.

Xathe twists his wrist around, pulling Demyx's hands towards himself. Demyx starts to lean over the table as Xathe gets the upper hand.

"No… No, no! No, no, no!" Demyx grunts, frantically.

Xathe smirks as he slams Demyx's hands onto the table, ending the match.

"Holy hell, man!" Demyx gasps, grabbing his hand in shock.

"There's one thing you guys **didn't** know about me," Xathe chuckles.

"Wait, you work out?!" asks Demyx, dumbfounded.

"Of course I do. What else do you think I do, since I don't sleep?"

"Well… I just didn't think Nobodies had to work out at all…" Demyx scratches his head, curiously.

"They don't have to. I just do," Xathe states.

Xathe turns his head to Roxas and beckons him with one finger, smirking.

Roxas nods, kneeling down in the spot Demyx was just in and he gets a serious look on his face with determination.

"Alright, newbie. You ready?" Roxas asks, seriously.

That nickname brings a flashback into Xathe's mind,

* * *

**(Flashback)**

_Axel walks into Xathe's room in Castle Oblivion with a new leather cloak, belonging to the Organization._

_"Hey, newbie," Axel greets, as Xathe gets up from his bed._

_"Hi…" Xathe greets, nervously._

_"You're going to need this…" Axel states, tossing him the cloak._

_Xathe quickly catches it in both hands and unfolds it to look at it. He liked the black color and comfortable look about it._

_"Your first day of training is today… got it memorized?" he asks._

_"Y-Yeah…" Xathe nods, sweating._

_"Don't work up a sweat __**before**__ training, alright, man?"_

_"Right…" Xathe agrees._

_"Good… seeya," Axel waves, walking out the door._

* * *

"But of course," Xathe proclaims.

"One…" Xion starts.

"Two…" Demyx counts.

"…Three," Axel finishes.

Instantly, Roxas and Xathe push each other's hands with much effort, in a great struggle.

Cheers light up around them but they are to focused on the battle to notice them. Roxas' tongue sticks out the corner of his mouth and sweat rolls down his cheek.

Xathe shows his teeth as he grunts and growls. Yet, neither of them budge at all, but simply shake, uncontrollably. Roxas' hand starts to move towards the table but then gains control again and pushes Xathe's hand down. It switches again and then vice versa.

Xathe slams his fist on the table and then grabs the edge of it in an unexpected boost of strength. Roxas' hand moves towards the table slowly and Roxas closes his eyes and growls as he pulls it away from the surface.

They now both grip the table and are leaned up, trying as hard as they can but neither will back down.

They both start to wear down and their grips start to loosen.

Roxas' wrist wavers and Xathe tries to take advantage, even though his wrist is wearing down as well. He puts his whole torso into pushing his hand to the table. As if in slow motion their hands approach the coffee table's surface. It gets dead silent in the room.

Roxas' knuckle taps the table and they instantly let go of each other's hands, gasping for breath. The silence looms through the air except for their fast breathing.

"Wow..." Roxas gasps.

"Same here," Xathe states, grabbing his wrist.

"Nice one, man," Roxas chuckles. "Thanks, you too," Xathe responds, half-smiling.

Roxas stands up and shakes his hand out, smiling. "Alright, Xion, you're up," Roxas motions her to the coffee table and Xion gulps nervously.

Everyone starts chuckling, except for Xion. Xion walks over and kneels down to the opposite side of the table from Xathe.

She puts her elbow on the table and gets a serious look on her face. Xathe leans over towards the coffee table and does the same as Xion, grabbing her hand.

Xion prepares herself, but then Xathe winks at her, smirking. This instantly makes her blush and she looks down, flustered. Xathe snickers teasingly at Xion's reaction to his flirting but he then becomes very serious.

Xion looks up, staring Xathe dead in the eye with much courage, surprising Xathe. Axel starts the count, "One... Two..."

Xion furrows her eyebrows readily. "Three... Go!"

Xion grunts as she pushes Xathe's hand with a surprising amount of strength. Xathe lets a grunt escape as well, being tired from the struggle with Roxas. Xion pushes her hardest and everyone is shocked to see Xathe letting up.

Her arm gets the "upper-hand" and she pushes Xathe's hand to the table, slowly.

Xathe's hand touches the table surface, meaning game over. Everyone gasps in shock of Xion's victory. "I-I won?" she gasps in disbelief.

"Wow, Xathe. You got beat by a girl..." Demyx snickers.

It gets dead silent. Everyone waits for Xathe to attack Demyx for his comment, but yet again Xathe does the complete unexpected: he bursts out laughing.

It's a sincere laugh though. Not an evil or cocky one. Just a regular, amused laugh. Slowly, everyone joins in on the laughter.

The laugh lasts a while but then everyone stops after a little while. "But seriously... you let her win right?" Axel asks, smiling knowingly.

Xathe turns his head to him and a sly, mysterious smirk slips over his lips as he gives a peace sign. "Is that a yes?" Axel asks, confused.

Xathe shakes his head and leans back against the chair behind him, his hands locked together behind his head. Xion stares at him in question.

_'Did he really let me win?'_ Nobody knew. But everybody knew that he wouldn't say...

* * *

**Alright, that's the end of Chapter 5. Sorry, if it wasn't obvious, this was mainly a filler chapter (except for the beginning).**

**But next chapter will feature more romance than the first few chapters... and no filler too. XD Sorry for the wait! This chapter took a surprisingly long time to make. Anyways, seeya. Hope you review.**

**Peace out. _-KtD_**


	6. Bitter-Sweet

**_Chapter VI: Bitter-Sweet_**

**Hey guys! This chapter will feature a few new characters for this story. Or atleast one or two!  
Also, prepare for a deeper look into Xathe's history. Prepare!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it... Step One! Get ticket to Japan…**

**Go! -**_**The Key To Darkness**_

* * *

_**Day 230**_

…

Xathe tosses and turns in his bed, restless but unable to wake up.

_"Do you want answers?"_ the voice of the raven-haired boy speaks.

_"Of course I do!" _Xathe shouts frustrated.

_"Then why do you persist at not listening to me?"_ The teen growls.

_"Because I don't even know you! I can't trust you, and I've never even heard of this "Cloud" guy that you keep talking about!" _Xathe spits, furiously.

_"Fine. But when you decide that you truly do want answers… go to Hollow Bastion. For now, you're going to have to finish battling with yourself. Part of you obviously doesn't want the answers…"_

* * *

Xathe is finally let free from the cold grip of slumber, rolling from his bed to the floor.

He lays motionless on his back. "Hollow Bastion…" he whispers to himself.

Suddenly a flash blocks his vision, after he says those two words and another memory comes to him.

* * *

**(Flashback)**

_A young boy with spiky, white hair looks around at the strange city around him._

_"What is this place?" The boy asks._

_"Hey you!" a girl's voice shouts._

_A short, teenage girl with short black hair, a white headband, black jacket, and shorts rushes up to him, catching the boy by surprise._

_"Are you a newcomer?" she asks calmly, except for the fact that she seems quite hyper and jumpy._

_"Y-Yes," he answers._

_"Great!" she jumps with glee._

_"Umm?" the boy rubs the back of his head awkwardly._

_"My name's Yuffie. What's yours, stranger?" she asks._

_"My name is Tahe`. I'm a Keyblade wielder," he smiles._

_"Wow! That's quite a merit! Congratulations."_

_"Thank you."_

_Suddenly, an explosion from the other side of town is heard and even felt._

_Yuffie and Tahe` nearly fall over from the shake. "Oh no. Guess you came at a bad time, Tahe`," Yuffie gulps._

_"What was that?" Tahe` asks, hastily. He readies himself for a battle._

_"I don't know… but I hope it wasn't the Heartless!" she gasps, turning around and rushing towards where the massive quake happened._

_Tahe` pulls his backpack on tighter and rushes after her._

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Xathe gasps, getting his vision back and standing to his feet, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

He stops and thinks for a second, "Who is Tahe`? And who was that Yuffie person? I guess I'll just have to visit that place soon…" he shakes his head and walks out of his room.

* * *

...

Xion walks down the quiet halls of The Castle That Never Was, deep in her own thoughts. She couldn't stand it anymore. She had to get some answers… and she was getting them today. Why did Riku call her what he did? And who was she once, as a human?

Was she even real?

She turns around a corner and runs into something solid but with a leather-like texture. Her nose hits the object and its smells enter her senses instantly. She welcomes the smells, gratefully.

Some type of fruit. That's what it smelled like. It was sort of sweet... but at the same time, kind of bitter. It felt slightly different and mysterious. It tickled her nose and felt like fire.

Bitter… different… mysterious…

Xathe…

She gasps and jumps back in shock.

"What? Miss me?" Xathe smirks, crossing his arms.

"Huh? No… I mean yeah, I did, but-… anyways I have to go," she states, about to walk around him when his arm stops her.

"What's the problem?" he asks, seriously.

"Nothing."

"You're a horrible liar," he smirks, amused.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"I'm not in the mood for your games, Xathe."

"But I'm just getting warmed up!" He laughs.

"Shut up! Just go away!"

Xathe glares at her, "If you have an issue with me, I'd prefer you tell it to my face instead of acting like this. Now answer my question."

His demanding tone startles her. She didn't exactly expect something like this from him.

"Well?"

She shakes her head, "Look it's not about you. I just want answers to some stuff, okay?"

He raises a brow in suspicion, "Why do I get the feeling you're going to get yourself into trouble?

"I'm not..."

"Your skill of lying has not improved in the last five minutes..."

"I'm not lying. I just. Want. Answers."

Xathe lowers his arm and then crosses it with the other one over his chest. "Fine. Go ahead. I can't stop you."

His voice was rough and angry. But to Xion's satisfaction... he walks away.

"Finally..." She exasperates.

Xion quickly continues what she was doing, rushing down the hallway and turning into a room with a large computer monitor and a wide keyboard. The main computer.

It was time for some answers...

…

…

…

Xathe walks down the hallway, leaving behind what he did with Xion.

He walks past a large, open door. The room inside the door was much larger than the massive steel door.

Time seems to go in slow motion as he walks past the room. The room was once the laboratory that Vexen frequently worked in, at one time.

Inside, was a giant desk in the center of the room, with lots of scientific tools and experiments. Around the desk, attached to the walls, were 13 big, glass tanks that all held strange pink liquid. Xathe's eyes open wide with surprise.

The liquid wasn't what surprised him… but what was in it besides the liquid. The tanks also held a Neoshadow in each one. The Neoshadows floated ominously in the liquid, in dormancy. They were very much alive…

But as fast as he looked in, it disappeared as he walked away from it.

The scene was strange… but Xathe knew it wasn't his concern.

* * *

...

Xathe walks into the lively grey room. Most of the members were around, either waiting for their missions or talking.

Saix stood where he always does, and with his arms crossed.

Xathe walks towards him, but is stopped after hearing someone call for him, "Hey, Xathe!"

He turns around, to see Axel walk into the grey room as well.

"Yes?" Xathe asks.

"You like ice cream?" asks Axel, casually.

"Ice cream?" asks Xathe, confused.

"Yeah, ice cream."

"I don't know. I've heard about it from Roxas… otherwise, I've never tried it before."

"Really? Wow. Well, you should come by the station plaza in Twilight Town, later this evening. Roxas and Xion are gonna be busy, so I need a substitute to share ice cream with," he half-smiles.

"Sure, I guess. There doesn't seem to be any harm in doing so," Xathe shrugs.

"Great! Right after your mission, today. Whenever you finish, just head over to the station plaza and meet me there," Axel explains.

"Alright…" Xathe memorizes.

"Kay… seeya," he waves once, and walks away.

Xathe stands there for a minute and nods, "Might as well."

He turns around and walks over to where Saix stands, to get his next mission for the day. Saix glares at him for a moment but then retains his usual facial expression. Xathe gives him a suspicious look but then opens his mouth to speak.

Before Xathe can say a word, another flash blocks his vision. The flash brings sudden pain to his senses as the scene around him becomes clear.

* * *

**(Flashback)**

_Tahe` rushes to where the explosion came from, to find hundreds of Heartless surrounding the city and several people fighting them off._

_"Look out, kid!" a deep voice shouts._

_Tahe` turns around to see a dozen Heartless surrounding him in a wolf-pack-like formation. Tahe` glares, unafraid and prepared. His right hand shoots out and his Keyblade instantly summons. "Alright, let's go!"_

_Before the fight begins, a tall blonde teen jumps to Tahe`'s side, his giant sword drawn and ready. "You look like you could use some help," he chuckles._

_"Nah. You're seeing things! I've got this one covered," Tahe` laughs, spinning his Keyblade around in his grip and getting in fighting position._

* * *

Xathe looks up, grabbing his head in slight agitation. Saix stands before him, glaring as usual. "Well?" he asks.

"Right... I came to ask for my assignment," says Xathe.

"Of course. You are being assigned to a new world... Hollow Bastion... for recon-" Before Saix finishes, another flash blocks Xathe's senses as another flashback appears before him.

* * *

**(Flashback)**

_Tahe` falls to his knees, beaten and injured._

_It wasn't the Heartless that did this to him... but the strange masked boy with a black-red organic jumpsuit and Keyblade. He jumped into the fight before Tahe` could stop the Heartless._

_"Cloud..." Tahe` mutters. He walks over and pushes the blonde teen's unconscious form. "You gotta... wake... up!"_

_Tahe` grabs his ribs in pain as he grips Cloud's sword and lifts himself from the ground, with the giant sword. He glares down the masked boy with anger. He had no idea who this new foe was, but he knew that he hurt someone who helped Tahe`... and that was enough to tick him off._

_"What are you going to do, Tahe`?" The masked boy laughs._

_"How do you know my name?" Tahe` spits._

_"Because... I'm your watcher. I am making sure you get stronger, Tahe`," The masked boy explains. "What?" Tahe` asks confused._

_"You don't get it, do you? Then you're not ready."_

_"Ready for what?!"_

_"For the plans that **we** have for you. I won't punish you... but your training will now be much more... severe," The masked boy snickers, darkly._

_"Shut up! I've had enough of your lies!" Tahe` screams, charging at the masked boy and ready to battle. The boy simply shakes his head and disappears into a portal of darkness. Tahe` slashes at the portal... but to no avail. The masked boy escaped..._

**(End of Flashback)**

Xathe was becoming annoyed with the raven-haired voice's antics, "Alright! I'll go to Hollow Bastion! Will that shut you up?!" Xathe screams at the voice in his head.

"Excuse me?" Saix spits.

"Uh-oh... I wasn't... I wasn't talking to- ugh, never mind... I'll just go," Xathe murmurs.

Saix raises an eyebrow at him as he slumps his shoulders in defeat, "Your partner will be Xion. Now be on your way. I expect you to leave as soon as you are ready and no later."

"Yes, sir..." he mumbles, walking away lazily.

"... Something is very wrong with him," Saix states.

* * *

Xathe walks down the hallway to Xion's room, deep with thought. He knew what his mission was and that he was going to do it... but something seemed off. Almost as if something was going to prevent Xathe's visit to Hollow Bastion. He wasn't sure why... maybe it was just paranoia. He didn't know... but he would soon find out, wouldn't he?

Xathe walks to her door and knocks three times.

No answer.

"Xion?" he asks, knocking again.

Again, nothing.

Well... he tried being polite. He was not in the mood for her attitude. He steps back and kicks the door open with his right leg. The door responds by flying open and slamming into the wall.

"Xion, let's go we have to-" he stops, noticing the room to be completely empty and lifeless. "Xion?"

He looks around but then sees a mysterious piece of paper laying on her bed, folded up.

Xathe walks over to it and picks it up, slightly afraid to read the content of it. Finally, his curiosity gets the best of him and he unfolds it.

"_Dear Everyone,"_ Xathe reads:

"_I know this is very sudden... but I'm leaving. I can't stay here. There are things I don't understand and need to understand. In order to get these answers... I have to leave. I'm sorry for whatever trouble I may cause in doing this. And I'm sorry to Axel and Roxas especially. I don't mean to hurt you guys... you're my greatest friends and nothing will ever change that. Goodbye._

_(P.S. Sometimes things that are too shrouded in the Darkness, can only be revealed in the 'light'.) -Xion_" Xathe finishes.

It gets silent in the room as Xathe stares at the small, meaningless note.

"..." He continues to stare, blankly.

"Son of a bitch!" Xathe bellows, stuffing the note in his pocket and rushing back to the grey room with anger filling his entire body.

He reaches the end of the hallway and barely catches himself from falling on the floor as he shouts, "We have a very big problem!"

Everyone looks to Xathe in confusion, "What is it?" Saix asks.

"Xion's gone!" He growls.

* * *

**End of Chapter 6. Dramatic, no? What do you think's gonna happen next?!  
Xathe: I'm going to go look for Xion! That's what's gonna happen, idiot!  
Me: I meant besides that...  
Xathe: Whatever...**

**Anyways! R&R and I'm already starting Chapter 7 so expect an update soon!  
Thanks, everyone! -_KtD_**


	7. I Walk Alone

_Chapter VII: I Walk Alone…_

**Yo! **_**Key To Darkness**_** here! Chapter 7 is coming at ya! This one will be a lot longer than most of the others, so hang in there.**

**You guys are going to see a lot more of Xathe's story in this Chapter and the next ones. If you read the Prologue, you'll see that Xathe had a past at Castle Oblivion and… oh, just read to find out!**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own it. Got it memorized?  
[Song Inspiration: **_**Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day**_**]**

**Enjoy. -**_**KtD**_

* * *

_**Day 238**_

…

Another day of searching: failed. This will make a full week that Xion has been gone. Xathe knew that something would delay his answers, and lo' and behold!

Now here we are… Xion has disappeared, Xathe is suffering from stress, Roxas is desperately worried, Axel is hiding something, and Xemnas is completely calm about the whole thing. Xathe is especially agitated with Xemnas' calm. How can Xemnas be so casual and uncaring about this whole situation? Xion practically quit the Organization!

But why should Xathe care? What does he have to stress about? It's just Xion. Just Xion…

It's just… Xion…

"What the hell is wrong with me…" Xathe exasperates, shoving his face into his pillow.

"I don't know… but I bet ice cream would help," a relaxed voice answers, chuckling.

"What is it with you and ice cream?" Xathe grumbles, slumped over his bed. Axel walks into the room, smirking.

"Well… you said you'd go with me, before this whole situation happened. Remember?" Axel asks, tapping his temple as a signal.

The temple-tapping thing reminded Xathe of the mysterious raven-haired boy who torments his dreams… in other words he hated it, "Yeah, I remember…"

"Well why don't we go?"

"I don't feel like it…"

"Oh, come on. You want to feel better, don't you? Ice cream and talking will cheer you right up!"

"Neither ever did anything for me."

"One of them, you never even tried," Axel states.

Xathe turns his face from the pillow of his bed to Axel, "Fine, you win. Let's go…"

"Cool."

Xathe really didn't want to go… but if it meant getting him out of his distress, then he'd try just about anything.

So he went.

* * *

...

Axel and Xathe sit on the edge of the station plaza building, talking a bit.

"Your ice cream is going to melt, bro," Axel warns.

"It melts?" asks Xathe.

"Yes. You haven't even looked at it since it entered your grip…"

"So?"

"So… try it," Axel sighs.

"Alright…" Xathe sighs as well, bringing the strange blue block on a stick to his lips.

He slowly licks the strange cold treat, wincing, in case it was poison. It wasn't poison… actually it tasted some-what good. It was unique, that was for certain.

"What is this? Sweet… but salty? It makes no sense," Xathe asks confused.

Axel starts laughing, making Xathe turn to him, "What?" Xathe asks defensively.

"You're over-thinking it. Don't ask why or how… just enjoy it. It's what makes life more enjoyable. Try that for once."

Xathe takes a bite from his ice cream bar, slowly. A slow, small smile of satisfaction slips over his lips as he lets the sweet and salty taste run over his taste buds before chewing and swallowing.

"It's okay."

"Pfft! Whatever, smart-ass!" Axel laughs. Xathe joins in his laughter as the sunset shines brightly over Twilight Town.

A few more minutes pass of silence as they finish their ice creams in peace. Xathe was fine with it, but Axel was beginning to feel awkward, so of course he spoke up.

"You miss Namine`?" Axel asks.

Xathe furrows his eyebrows at the very mention of her, "No… never…"

Axel is silent, listening to Xathe.

"… not after what she did."

* * *

**(Flashback)**

_"Xathe! It's not like that!" Namine` shouts, defensively._

_"You have the nerve to argue with me after doing something, like that?!" Xathe spits, his left hand balled into a fist and his other waving wildly._

_"Xathe, you have to understand that it wasn't what I wanted! I wanted to get to know you, and become something more with you," Namine` explains._

_"Yeah, and tearing my own memories out of my mind, as if they meant nothing, totally shows that!" counters Xathe._

_"I didn't want to-"_

_"I've had more than enough of your lies, Namine`. How could you do that to me? What did I ever do to you… or anyone?!"_

_"Nothing, Xathe…"_

_Xathe turns away from her, closing his eyes in pain. His teeth show, fiercely, as a growl rushes out his throat, "Is that even my real name, Namine`?" he asks sincerely._

_"Yes. Of course it is, Xay. I'd never lie to you about that, it's just for this particular thing-" Namine` stops when Xathe shakes his head several times. She knew that all lies were wrong, there was no excuse for it. No matter how many times she told herself she was helping, she knew she was doing more harm than good._

_Xathe knew the truth, now. Namine`, his only and greatest friend in the whole universe, destroyed his memories before they even knew each other. And to top it off, she didn't put a second thought into it. Then she had the nerve to lie in Xathe's face about everything he ever knew, and for __**this**__ long. Why?_

_"Why'd you do it?" Xathe deadpans, becoming fatally serious._

_"I… I can't tell you. I'm so sorry," she whispers. Namine` bows her head down in shame, not bothering to push the fallen bangs out of her eyes._

_"Then it's over. You'll never be my friend, again, ever. I pray we never have to meet again." Xathe spits, turning fully around and walking out of the all-white room inside of Castle Oblivion._

* * *

Xathe's face turns downwards, towards the pavement, far below them.

"Does it hurt?"

"Nothing hurts, Axel. Because I can't feel pain." Xathe sighs.

"That's not what I'm asking," Axel speaks with a serious tone.

"Why do you suddenly care so much? You were the one who wanted me to know the truth as to why I couldn't remember anything and why I was in a coma for three years," Xathe asks, almost harshly.

"Because, at the time, you were just a duty to me. I had to make sure everything went as planned, for the purpose you were needed for. It wasn't until recently, that I've realized the truth in your feelings, the reality of your life," Axel goes on.

"Feelings?" Xathe asks, confused.

"I guess… memories would be the proper word. I don't really know anymore, honestly."

"That's a nice little speech, Axel. But I won't be forgiving Namine` if that's what you're implying."

"Why not? You know she regrets it."

"Her pitiful apologies are not needed or wanted. She can't give me back, what was once mine… because she destroyed it. She can't fix what I am; so I can't fix our friendship," Xathe exclaims.

"You've got the wrong idea. I'm talking about getting rid of the chains that Namine` has placed on you. Forgive her, and those chains can disappear. You might even grow a some-what colorful personality!" Axel explains, showing sarcasm in the last part.

Xathe stares at nothing, quiet.

"Got it memorized?" Axel asks, tapping Xathe's head teasingly. This makes Xathe chuckle a bit.

"Sure."

"Well, good. Just think about it, ya know? Give it some time, if you need. But I can guarantee that you'll like the result."

"Sure thing, Axel," Xathe chuckles.

The two new friends then continued their conversation, watching the sun as it set over the sleepy town.

* * *

...

The next day, everyone received the day off and Xathe couldn't think of a thing to do. He tried exercising, reading, he even took the time to do a jigsaw puzzle! What was a simple Nobody to do on such a boring and lazy day. Axel was sleeping, Roxas went off doing God-knows-what, Demyx was too busy playing his damned sitar… believe me, Xathe tried to do something with all of them.

And then there was Xion, who was total M.I.A…

Xion!

Xathe knew what he was going to do on this boring day.

…

Xathe rushes over to the end table, where he set the note after he told everyone of her disappearance. He quickly picks it up and reads over it again, looking for something. Just… something.

"Come on, Xion! I know you left some sort of clue in this blasted letter!" Xathe growls, quietly.

He skims it over again and again, to no avail. Nothing really seemed irregular or hidden. But then Xathe noticed something strange about the last part of the letter:

_'P.S. Sometimes things that are too shrouded in Darkness, can only be revealed in the 'light'.'_

What did she mean? _Sometimes things that are too shrouded in Darkness…_

"The Organization? Heartless? Me? Or maybe a secret?" Xathe contemplates.

A light-bulb flashes on in Xathe's brain as the idea came, "A secret!"

…_can only be revealed in the 'light'._

"Wouldn't light be capitalized along with '_Darkness_'? Maybe it was just a spelling error. Or perhaps she meant literal 'light'… like the sun?" Xathe asks.

Xathe scratches his head as he slowly turns towards the light attached to his ceiling, that hangs over his bed. He quickly jumps up on the bed and stretches out as far as he can along with his arms, to hold up the piece of paper to the bright light.

He waits as nothing happens yet, "Come on… show me something!"

Suddenly, new print starts to appear on the back of the note, in neat cursive hand-writing.

Xathe gasps with joy, "Bingo!"

He swiftly brings it down from the light so he can read the hidden writing. He reads the short note as this:

"_Xathe,"_

_'If you figured it out and are reading this, meet me at The Old Mansion of Twilight Town as soon as possible. Please hurry! –Xion'_

Xathe pulls the note from his face, a look of dead seriousness. "I'm coming, Xion."

* * *

...

Meanwhile, Xion sits against a tree in front of the Old Mansion. She looks down, deep in her thoughts. She's only known Xathe for so long now, but she gets the strangest feeling like she can trust him. She doesn't want to take the chance of Roxas over-reacting to everything, and Axel always puts his duty first… so she sees Xathe as the only person she can rely on to respond to her situation calmly and understandably.

But what should she tell him? How… will she tell him? Maybe she should try to get Xathe to come with her. Perhaps he could help her in some way?

Her thoughts were put to a halt at the sound of a slightly deep but concerned voice, "Xion…"

Xion looks up to see who it is, and is happy to see that it's just Xathe and nobody else.

"Xathe…" she whispers.

"You rang?"

"Yeah. I'm glad you figured out the secret between the lines," Xion smiles.

"You should know, by now, that I'm far more clever than I look," he chuckles.

"Right…" Xion sighs.

"So you finally going to tell me what's been bugging you?" Xathe asks, crossing his arms.

"Sort of…"

"I didn't quite catch that," says Xathe, sarcastically.

"Alright… yes, I am going to tell you," she sighs.

Xathe gets silent as he waits for her to start talking.

"I… I heard some things that… that made me sad…"

Xathe listens intently.

"I lied to you… I did see Riku again. It was shortly after you fell asleep for 12 days. He beat me and told me terrible things of me being a sham and a fake. I didn't understand why he called me that. It hurt me and it made me question my existence," Xion explains.

For some reason this angers Xathe, "Skip that part. Just get to the part that was bugging you," Xathe demands.

"Well… I just had to get away from it all, okay? All these thoughts were pulling me down and I had to be alone. I still do."

"But… you need to come back. The Organization needs you. And I need…" he stops.

"What?" Xion asks, interested.

"Nothing. I said the Organization needs you. Your purpose is there, so just come back."

"Why are you so desperate all of a sudden to get me back? Nobody else came for me, but you did," asks Xion.

"I'm not desperate! I'm trying to help the situation! Stop getting the wrong idea," Xathe shouts, angrily.

"Jeez, no need to get defensive. I was only asking," Xion grumbles.

"So are you coming back?" asks Xathe.

"No. I can't. There's no point in doing so," Xion looks down, sadly.

She suddenly looks up as a flash from Xathe's hand appears, summoning his Keyblade. She looks to his face, her eyes filled with betrayal.

"Xathe… why?"

"I can't take the chance of losing you. I've found you and now I have to take you back. You've stressed me out too much, for this to continue."

Xion stands straight, appalled, "Xathe, you wouldn't truly do this would you?" she makes sure to look him right in the eye. This time Xathe loses the staring contest, looking to the ground with pain in his features. Xion knew that he wouldn't hurt her, not when he was this stressed.

"Xion, why are you doing this to me?! Why can't you just come back for me? Or do you even care?" he growls.

"Of course I care about you!"

"Stop lying to me! I'm sick of it! It doesn't even matter anymore. I'm taking you back. Easy way or the hard way."

"Xathe... I'm being honest."

His eyes glimmer with hatred, "I know."

"Please... just give me time. That's all I want..."

Xathe looks to the ground a moment before standing straight again, "Fine... I guess I have no choice-"

"Xion?" a gasp comes from behind Xathe.

"Damn it…" Xathe curses under his breath. He turns his head over his shoulder to see Roxas staring at Xion with a look of shock.

"Roxas, I-" Xion starts but is quickly interrupted.

"Xion, what's going on?!" Roxas asks, hastily.

"Roxas, listen to me." Xion pleads, but Roxas ignores her, turning his head to Xathe who still holds his Keyblade in his hand.

Roxas thinks for a second but then glares harshly, "You were going to hurt Xion! Well, you won't get far!" He shouts, drawing out his Kingdom Key.

"Don't do this, Roxas. You're making a mistake," Xathe deadpans.

"Don't bother! I know the truth! You were jealous of Xion so you found her and cornered her, then you were going to kill her!" Roxas spits, venomously.

His accusations make Xathe shake his head in disappointment.

Xion prepares to protest but Xathe speaks up before her, "Well, well. Looks as if somebody has caught on to my little scheme after all! About time, Roxas."

Xion raises an eyebrow to Xathe. What was he doing? He couldn't be serious could he?

Xion's thoughts are answered by Xathe smirking to her and winking. He was trying to distract Roxas so Xion could escape…

_'Wow, he is clever! Not bad…'_ Xion thinks, smiling to Xathe.

Xathe mouths out the words, "_I've got this,_" and turns around towards Roxas, "So let's go! I wanna see what you're made of!" Xathe exclaims, fake laughing.

Roxas growls and yells, "Fine, you'll get what's coming to you!"

"I don't know… I think Xion and Axel have made you a softie!" Xathe chuckles.

"Get real!" Roxas spits, rushing at Xathe.

Their Keyblades collide in a clash, but Xathe shoves Roxas back and leaps into the air, bringing his Keyblade down onto Roxas.

Roxas blocks it and counters, throwing Xathe back in his original spot. They quickly come at each other again, countering one another again and again in flashes of sparks and magic energy. Xathe is struck, sending him into the ground a few yards back. Roxas continues on, running at his downed form.

Xathe smiles deviously, showing his newest technique: Teleportation.

He disappears, appearing behind Roxas and hacking him to the dirt. Roxas grunts from the fast strike but quickly scrambles back up, launching an Aero spell at Xathe. The spell sucks him in, spinning Xathe around and around until it throws him high into the air. Xathe lets himself soar for a moment but then spreads his arms out, the bottom of his cloak floating upwards and stopping himself in mid-flight.

Xathe glides down in a swift maneuver towards Roxas. Xathe lands to the ground where Roxas leaps from and then dashes forward, slashing at Roxas. Roxas quickly jumps into the air, the low-strike missing his feet and he brings down his blade onto Xathe, before he teleports away again. The Keyblade strikes the damp grass, launching mud in several directions.

Roxas looks around, confused, for Xathe but can't find him. Then a corridor of darkness opens beside Xion, distracting Roxas as she prepares to enter into it. "Xion! Wait, no!" Roxas shouts, preparing to chase after her.

Xion pulls her hood over her head, disappearing in the darkness of the portal.

"Xion!" Roxas bellows again, running forward before being abruptly stopped by a jab in the back of his neck, against his spinal cord.

The jab knocks him to the ground, spinning him around so he lands on his back against the cold grass. "Xion…" he whispers.

Finally Roxas gives in and falls unconscious.

"I'm sorry, Roxas." Xathe sighs, slowly leaning down to check his pulse. He was luckily still healthy and alive. That proved two things:

One: Xathe was much more powerful but could control his strength.

Two: Roxas was much more advanced as well.

Xathe picks Roxas up and carries him bridal style. He winces at the air, making a dark corridor form before them. Xathe then looked to Roxas one more time before carrying him into the portal of nothingness. Let's just hope that Roxas forgot about the whole scene. Mostly the fight, though.

The portal disappears.

* * *

Xathe carries Roxas into his room, lying him down on his bed. Sure it was Xathe's room but he didn't mind very much. It was just Roxas.

Though, _'just Roxas'_, was most likely going to be extremely angry with Xathe when he woke up. Xathe still prayed his memory of the scene would be erased anyways. God, what he wouldn't give for Namine`'s abilities right then…

Namine`…

Just her name made Xathe feel betrayal. It made his non-existent blood boil and his No-heart pound vigorously.

Why did she take his memories in the first place? Why did she lie to him about everything, from his past to who he was? Why would she just let Xathe walk out on their friendship without as much as a single protest?

Did anyone truly care about Xathe's feelings?! It was as if Xathe was a toy that always happened to be at the right place, at the right time. He was, practically, "waiting" to be used by another person. This time it seemed like it was Xion.

But then again… Xathe felt like she was telling the truth the whole time. Perhaps… she truly did care, but just didn't know Xathe well enough to trust him like she did with Roxas and Axel.

It ate at Xathe's sanity, but he knew he'd have to deal with the new situations he was being forced into. He didn't like them. He didn't love them. He didn't hate them, either. All he wanted, was to get through it.

To get through another day… alone. Everybody tried but nobody was successful in trying to help Xathe. Xathe was truly by himself.

Loneliness isn't a friend to Xathe, but he's very familiar with it.

'_I always walk alone, anyways.'_ Xathe sighs inwardly.

But one question still bugged him, something that he was starting to really wonder about…

Why did he get the feeling the Organization was hiding something big from him?

* * *

**Chapter 7 ends here. Thanks to the few of you that actually review! I'm really enjoying the story, myself, actually! :)**

_**XIIIXV: **_**What's up?! Ha ha, I just saw you the other day and you're reviewing. Glad you're enjoying it! But ideas are more needed than appreciation. Thanks a bunch, though! XD**

_**Godskeybladewarrior: **_**Thank you for your support! Much appreciated! :)**

**Anyways, seeya next Chapter, guys and gals!**_** –The Key To Darkness**_


	8. Different

_Chapter VIII: Different_

**Hey again, guys. This chapter will be relatively short… sorry. But in return, the next chapter will be much longer and filled with new twists to the main plot! This one mainly explains Xathe's and Xion's feelings. Towards their situation and towards each other.**

**Once again, thanks to all of the reviews and the reviewers! I'm very grateful for you guys and your ideas! They're helping very much.**

**This may surprise you actually…**

_**Enjoy.-KtD**_

* * *

_**Day 250**_

…

Xathe sits on the edge of the station plaza's upper ledge at Twilight Town, where Axel had him try ice cream for the first time. In fact, Xathe held a stick of sea-salt ice cream right then.

He was confused and stressed, and he needed to just get away from everything for a little while. Like Axel suggested, he needed time to think. Except it wasn't about Namine`. He couldn't stand to think about her for more than ten seconds, if she wanted forgiveness, then she'd find a way to help him. End of story.

Xathe lets out a long sigh, before biting into his ice cream again. Why did Xion not want to return? It didn't make sense.

But more importantly, why did he even care what she did?

Illness. That had to be it. There was no other explanation for it, right? Of course that was it. I mean… what else could it be?

Xathe hated himself for allowing this big of a weakness to be flawed into his impenetrable design. His purpose was to be a vicious killing machine, a heartless assassin. Xathe was meant to look forward to his duty and nothing else. Anything else simply couldn't matter to him… but it was as if everything did.

"This sucks…" Xathe spits.

It did suck. Being filled with all this concern, when not even being supposed to contain in. Beyond that? He had no answer for it or real reason to it. That, and the fact that he couldn't get an answer from anyone. Especially not Xemnas.

Xathe's past was confusing and hard to understand. Or atleast from the way the teen in his mind made it out to be. It all seemed so long ago, yet at the same time it felt like it was just yesterday. Does that make sense? Probably not, but that's the way it was.

Xathe now had to depend on the voice in his head instead of Xemnas. Damned Xemnas. Xathe had no idea why, but he felt some sort of disturbance from Xemnas since he first met him. It was as if Xathe had some sort of old rivalry or conflict with the guy.

Could it be that Xemnas had some sort of deeper connection to Xathe in the past, that Xathe wasn't aware of? Or perhaps… perhaps they were related some-how. The kid in Xathe's dreams, Tahe`, does look very similar to Xemnas in certain ways. But their personalities were close to opposite.

"Too many questions… and no answers. Why am I being put through this? What's even the point…?" Xathe asks himself, quietly.

* * *

...

Xion walks through the Beast's Castle… wandering and deep with thought.

What was she even doing? She knew this was stupid, but it didn't matter anymore. She wasn't a member anymore. She couldn't be…

But most importantly, she couldn't go back because of Xathe. He was too dangerous for her to be around. Every time she was even around the guy, she felt as if at any moment he could tear her head off at random. Like he'd do it just for the moment of short laughter.

Does he enjoy hurting others? This question came to her, once she saw Xathe fight Riku. It was as if he enjoyed it, every time Riku got hit. Whenever Riku wasn't in pain he was serious and angry. He was so strange and she didn't understand him.

And the little bit of the fight she saw between Xathe and Roxas. There was definitely a big change in his fighting style and fighting outlook... but it wasn't for the better.

He was sly and cunning. That's all that was good for a fighter. The rest was worse. He was much more dangerously confident in himself, he enjoyed every moment of the fight, even when he was the one being struck down, and he actually **wanted** to fight Roxas!

He probably just likes to show everyone that he's better than them. That's what made Xion dislike Xathe. Xathe was so irritating that way! He's an arrogant jerk, he's an ass-hole, he's anti-social, he hates life and fun… the list goes on and on!

"It's best that I ended our friendship…" Xion nods, confidently.

She continued to sneak around in the shadows.

* * *

...

Everyone misunderstands Xathe.

For one thing: Xathe is not cocky. He's simply very confident. Which was a good thing wasn't it? Shouldn't he have high self-esteem?

He didn't know, and didn't understand... just like with everything else.

Everyone mostly looked at Xathe as the pain-in-the-ass of Organization XIII. That was Xathe's title. Roxas was the Key to Destiny, Axel was the Flurry of Dancing Flames, Demyx was the Melodious Nocturne… who was Xathe?

Xathe was "The Pain-In-The-Ass."

Sure that wasn't his actual title… but it seems as if it could have been. All it was, was that nobody liked him. You know what they say about people, when they don't understand something?

The people either hate it or fear it. That was Xathe's life, some people hated him while others were afraid of him.

I mean... his eyes turn yellow when angry, for crying out loud! Do you think that anyone is really going to understand that?

...If you just answered "Yes,"... you're a smart-ass...

Xathe lays down on the floor behind him with his feet propped up on the ledge.

* * *

...

Xion looks down from the balcony of the ball room. The Beast and that one woman were dancing. Xion wondered why they were doing it, they were so affectionate towards one another and their eyes showed some emotion that Xion had never seen before.

She couldn't put a name on it…

The feeling was awfully confusing... yet Xion understood it in some way. Maybe when she was a human, she felt that before...

Xion couldn't look at the couple any longer. They were too happy for Xion's liking. Because… after all… Xion **wasn't **happy…

* * *

...

Xathe couldn't put a finger on the name for it…

It was weird... because Xathe isn't supposed to feel anything at all. But at the same time it was as if everything bothered him in one way or another. What does Xathe really want?

A friend.

He only wants to have the feeling like somebody cares for him.

"I don't know... maybe she's the wrong person for the job..." Xathe sighs, confused.

He looks at his popsicle stick, now removed of any kind of ice cream from Xathe eating it.

Something strange was written on the popsicle stick…

"_WINNER_?" Xathe reads, "What did I win?"

* * *

**End of Chapter 8. Enjoyed it, did you not? I hope so. Yes, this was some-what filler. But at the same time it shows the feeling for later chapters.**

**Review and let me know of your thoughts and predictions on the story so far! :)**

**Seeya! -**_**KtD**_


	9. Stranger

_Chapter IX: Stranger_

**Hey again guys. Hope you all enjoyed the "feel" moment with Xathe, because this story is now taking off like a rocket! The plot is coming together now, so let's do it.**

**Xathe: The Key To Darkness owns nothing. Not one thing. In fact I own him, not vice versa. You hear that, Key?  
Me: Just get on with the story…**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**What I've Done **_**by**_** Linkin Park]**_

_**-KtD**_

* * *

_**Day 275-276**_

…

Xathe walks sleepily to the grey room, yet again. The daily routine was a usual thing for Xathe now, but it still bored him. Couldn't they like… alternate rooms or something?

Xathe feels a strange new presence in the room that instantly puts Xathe in defense mode. There were only two presences in the room, Saix and the new one.

He immediately turns to the corner of the room to see a hooded man with the Organization's clothing. The only visible feature that was unique about him was the three silver locks of hair that barely stuck out from under the hood.

The stranger looks up at Xathe, the darkness of his hood covering his unknown expression. Xathe shoots him a slow, suspicious glare but the stranger simply chuckles lightly and then looks back down again, with his arms crossed.

Xathe stares at him for a few seconds but then looks back to Saix and walks towards him.

He could have sworn he saw Saix smirk with amusement when Xathe glared at the newcomer but Xathe couldn't say for sure.

"Saix… what is my job for the day?" Xathe deadpans, still suspicious of the newcomer.

"Today, XV, you are going to partner with our new Number XVI and you will show him the ropes," Saix explains, his voice monotone as usual.

"Number XVI?" Xathe gasps, spinning around to look at the stranger again. Xathe turns his head to Saix, pointing at the stranger, "Him?"

Saix nods.

'_Why the hell do we have __**another **__member?' _Xathe exclaims inwardly.

"Go to Twilight Town. I want you to train him, there," Saix explains.

"Yes… sir," murmurs Xathe.

Xathe walks over to the mysterious Number XVI and brings his eyes to his… or where Xathe thought they were anyways…

The stranger looks to him as well. Surprisingly, they were nearly the same in height.

"Alright, newbie. I don't know who you are… or why you're here… but I've been assigned to train you, so follow me," explains Xathe.

The stranger gives a hand-gesture for Xathe to lead the way, and he does so. Xathe opens a dark corridor that the two walk into and the corridor disappears into nothingness.

"This… may turn out even better than I expected…" Saix states, smiling darkly.

* * *

…

Xathe and Number XVI walk out of the corridor into the sandlot of Twilight Town. "Here we are," Xathe states, turning around to XVI and walking backwards to the center of the sandlot. "You talk at all?"

The stranger shrugs lightly, crossing his arms.

"I can tell we're going to get along…" Xathe sighs. '_Jeez, is this how I am all the time? No wonder everybody hates me…"_

XVI fake-coughs loudly, turning Xathe's attention back to the task at hand.

"Oh, right," Xathe rubs the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. "Alright… umm… do you know what a Heartless is?"

Number XVI looks up to the sky for a second before looking back to Xathe and nodding.

"Alright… at least you know that much. Do you know what a Nobody is? Nobodies are who we are," Xathe asks.

XVI has to think about it for a second before nodding slowly.

"Wow… okay. Wait, have you already been explained to, before?" asks Xathe in surprise.

The stranger gives a hand gesture, meaning 'Sort of…'

"Oh… well it makes my job easier, so no big deal. Now, do you have any fighting experience whatsoever?"

XVI does nothing but stare at Xathe in wait.

Xathe took that as a 'Maybe' but for all he knew it could have meant anything… he wasn't sure what to think of the newcomer or his mute personality.

"Do you have a name? Or at least something I can call you, besides 'newbie?'"

Number XVI has to concentrate for a second, seeming to zone out on finding his own name.

"Well?" growls Xathe, impatiently.

"X-X-Xe-Xe-tah…" the new one sounds out slowly.

"Xetah?" Xathe asks.

Number XVI nods. So his name is now known… but everything else is a mystery. This "Xetah" was most ominous, yet… he kind of reminded Xathe of himself when he first joined the Organization…

* * *

**(Flashback)**

_Axel slowly pushes Xathe towards the Superior, Xemnas who's hood covers his face._

_Xemnas looks at him with slight suspicion, "What… is your name, boy?"_

_Xathe looks to Axel, as if begging for help. Axel nods with a smile, showing that Xathe can trust Xemnas._

_"Do you remember anything, at all?" Xemnas asks, slightly impatient._

_"M-My name's X-Xathe, sir," Xathe slowly answers._

_This makes Xemnas half-smile. He looks to Axel and does a hand gesture, allowing Axel to leave. Axel sighs with relief and does so._

_"So, Xathe, what did Axel tell you, back at Castle Oblivion?" Xemnas asks, suspiciously._

_The name, Castle Oblivion, makes Xathe wince. He didn't even like the very name anymore. It reminded him too much of what Namine` did to him. Namine` betrayed him, used him, and destroyed who he once was. "He just told me that Organization XIII would help me. He said you guys had a p-purpose for me."_

_Xemnas smiles, "Very good. Now… are you prepared for the challenges and hardships you will face while serving us? Even when you have no idea what they might be?" Xemnas asks._

_Xathe looks down for a second, before nodding with confidence in himself._

_"Good… but are you prepared to take the most drastic of measures, to assure that Organization XIII's goal is accomplished, even if it means the harm or possible destruction of others?"_

_Xathe nods, "I'll try."_

_Xemnas removes his hood from his head, "Try you will. Through us, you will receive the answers you seek. Welcome to Organization XIII, Number XV…" Xemnas proclaims._

* * *

…

Except back then, at least Xathe could talk…

"Alright then, Xetah… let's begin our training…" Xathe exclaims, summoning his Keyblade.

Xetah stares at his weapon with awe.

"What? Oh… you've never seen a Keyblade before, have you?" Xathe rubs the back of his head.

"I have…" Xetah whispers, "just… it's been a w-while." Xetah is obviously not very good at speaking yet. He's probably just getting used to existing again. Or at least that's what he seemed to be doing. Xathe was still suspicious that the Organization needed a "Number XVI". What was the point in it? Unless…

Unless they were trying to replace Xion.

"Oh. Okay then. Well let's begin, summon your weapon and prepare to fight," Xathe proclaims, slashing at the air. The slash turns into four separate lines and then the lines become large circles.

The circles open up and drop a Heartless out from each one.

Xetah crosses his arms.

"Well? Go!" Xathe spits harshly. Xetah uncrosses his arms and holds his hand out.

Xetah fires a blast of dark energy in the center of the five creatures that detonates in a flash of dark magic. Instantly, the five Heartless explode into crystalline hearts that fade into the air.

"What… I thought you didn't have any fighting experience?" Xathe gasps.

Xetah shakes his head in disappointment and stares at Xathe very strangely for a moment… but then walks away.

"Wait, where are you going?" Xathe shouts.

Xetah completely ignores him and simply walks out of the sandlot… not even turning to Xathe or anything.

"Guess that means the end of training…" Xathe sighs, gripping the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. Everybody just **had** to stress him out, didn't they?

"Whatever… I'm done with you, anyways."

And with that, Xathe walked away from the sandlot, disappearing into darkness.

* * *

…

Meanwhile, Xion watched from one of the buildings. She watched the short training session with surprise glued to her face. They replaced her already? Well… she was right… she always was expendable.

"I should have known from the start…" Xion sighs, walking away.

…

…

…

Axel sits on the couch of the grey room, bored out of his mind and waiting for Xathe to come back. Axel wanted to talk to Xathe again. Roxas was out looking for Xion. And of course, Xathe was the substitute for Roxas and Xion on the short ice-cream escapades.

As if God answered Axel's prayer for an end to his boredom, a dark corridor opened in the center of the grey room, letting Xathe out from it.

"Hey, newbie! Well I guess I can't call you that anymore… but anyways, how 'bout we go get some ice cream?" Axel exclaims.

Xathe's breathing is heavy and sweat drips down his face. His face is blood red and his body shakes from immense pain.

"Xathe? Are you okay-" Axel is interrupted by Xathe's quiet voice, "Shit…" Xathe spits, dropping to his knees and then to his face.

"Xathe!" Axel shouts, rushing to his side and rolling him onto his back. Xathe is knocked out, cold.

Xathe lays flat with his eyes closed, unresponsive to anything.

"Come on, man! Damn it," Axel curses, picking Xathe up with one arm and walking down the hallway with Xathe slumped over his shoulder. "Let's get you to your room, big guy."

* * *

…

Xathe sees another vision, through the darkness of unconsciousness. The vision is faded and blurry… but he can still see it.

**(Flashback)**

_Tahe` helps Cloud over to Merlin's House._

_"Sorry, Cloud. If I had seen him, I would have warned you before he got to you…" Tahe` sighs out his apology._

_"Don't worry about it. I should have paid closer attention. There's no room for weakness like that," Cloud curses himself._

_"Stop saying stuff like that. You did fine, you just didn't see him."_

_The fight between Tahe` and the masked boy began once the masked boy struck Cloud from behind in a sneak attack. If he didn't hit just the right spot to knock Cloud out, Cloud could have fought him. But Tahe` ended up being the one to fight him. The rest was self-explanatory._

_Tahe` fought and lost. But he could guarantee that the next time he fought the masked boy: Tahe` would win._

_"I can walk from here," Cloud states, removing his arm from around Tahe`'s shoulders and walking along with him to Merlin's House. They walk up to the door of the simple house and Tahe` knocks on the door three times._

_Aerith Gainsborough answers the door and gasps at the sight of Cloud limping towards the door. She quickly rushes to him and helps him into the door, smiling at Xathe as she walked Cloud in._

_Tahe` blushes, rubbing the back of his head embarrassed._

_"Come in!" Aerith suggests, inviting Tahe` into the home._

_"Okay," Tahe` gleams, gratefully. He walks into the home and instantly his ears rang from the squirrely voice of Yuffie, "Hey Tahe`!"_

_Yuffie rushes up to Tahe`, making him back up a step, "Um, hi, Yuffie."_

_"You did really well out there on the field! You're almost as good as me, right now," she boasts, making Tahe` roll his eyes._

_"I doubt that… but thanks anyways," Tahe` sighs, walking over to where Cloud and Aerith went and Yuffie follows._

_Aerith sits Cloud down on Merlin's bed and Cloud sighs with relief from the comfort. Tahe` smiles to see his new friend in comfort instead of pain. He'd be fine, but Tahe` had a tendency to worry about the people he cared about._

_Aerith stands from the bedside and turns to Tahe`, smiling._

_"Thank you for bringing Cloud back here. Is there anything we could do to show our gratitude?" Aerith asks._

_"Oh no, I'm perfectly fine with knowing that Cloud is okay! Thanks for the offer, though," Tahe` smiles._

_"Okay. But remember, the offer is always out there since Cloud is kind of in your debt now," Aerith chuckles._

_Tahe` laughs and then crosses his arms, "So do you guys live here?" he asks looking around at the house._

_"Sure do! You like it?" Yuffie exclaims._

_"Yeah… it's nice." Tahe` states slowly, looking around at everything before looking back to Cloud. "Will he be alright?" Tahe` asks._

_"Knowing Cloud… yes," Aerith rolls her eyes sarcastically._

_"Alright. Well then I better get going… I'm looking for somebody," Tahe` trails off towards the end as he turns around and walks towards the door._

_"Wait… you'll come back and visit, won't you?" Aerith asks._

_Tahe` stops and his expression becomes serious as he thinks about it for a second before turning around and smiling at them, "I sure hope so. Seeya!" Tahe` gives a peace-sign and walks out the door._

* * *

...

Xathe opens his eyes to see the gray ceiling of his roof yet again. All the dull gray that colored the walls of Organization XIII's Castle really got old, pretty fast.

He groans as he sits up and rubs his head, remembering, slowly, everything that transpired the day before.

The last thing he remembered was the newcomer, Xetah, killing the Heartless, staring at Xathe strangely and then walking away… then after that…

Something happened. All he could remember was feeling as if all his power was being sapped from his body and he could barely find the energy to hold himself up.

Xathe remembered Axel's voice, though not the words. Then after that, everything was black… except for the vision.

The visions were becoming stronger, the pictures clearer. It seemed as if all those memories were becoming a part of who he was, even though he didn't understand even one of them.

But all Xathe knew was that he needed answers from Xemnas as to why he felt so sapped of power. Why he felt as if he was suffering emotional turmoil, even though he didn't have a heart to suffer such a thing with. Was all of this the result of his visions? Or maybe it was the mysterious raven-haired teen inside of his head?

"Enough asking. I'm going to Xemnas right this instant," Xathe spits, disappearing into darkness.

* * *

…

Xemnas sits on his high throne in the room Where Nothing Gathers with his eyes closed in relaxation. This was one of those few moments where Xemnas could simply be at peace and think about his plans for Project XV.

Now that Xetah has become an official member of Organization XIII, the plans of Project XV were coming together as if it were a detailed puzzle. Xemnas could already see it panning out… and it was most enjoyable to him.

'_Yes… I'm sure Xathe and Xetah will get along just fine…_' Xemnas chuckles inwardly.

Suddenly, his thoughts are interrupted by a pillar of darkness dropping Xathe into a throne that was a few seats away from Xemnas' throne.

"XV… what brings you to me at this hour?" Xemnas asks, his voice sounding as if he were pleased to see Xathe.

"There are some things I need answers to," Xathe deadpans.

"If it is of your past, then you will receive nothing from me, as stated before," states Xemnas.

"It's not. I need answers to what's happening to me, and apparently, you of all people would know…" Xathe hints.

"And who told you that?" asks Xemnas.

"Nobody. It was my own assumption."

"Well then, ask. I will see how I can assist in your search for answers."

* * *

Xathe explained almost everything that was going on. Mostly of the unknown visions and the berserk power-up he gets when he is angered. He told of the yellowing of his eyes and the emotional distress that he should not be having at all.

He explained just about everything.

…

Xemnas looks to the floor with a thinking look on his face. He took everything in quite well; it was the emotional distress part that he was struggling to explain.

"As far as the feeling of feeling sapped of your strength… I cannot explain. As far as the flurry of emotions you feel… it seems to me that you may be getting negative "recoil" from the berserk power boosts that you have a tendency of using," Xemnas explains.

"Are you saying that me using my special ability… has a recoil effect on my emotions, which shouldn't even exist?" Xathe asks, disbelieving.

"That's basically what I said. This raven-haired boy sounds as if he is the one who is the source behind the boosts in strength. He may be providing you with a little more than visions…"

"E-Emotions?" gasps Xathe.

Xemnas nods, "It would seem the return of your memory comes at quite a hefty price. Your memories… for your body."

Xathe looks to the floor, trying to comprehend what Xemnas has told him, "So you're saying that… this strange boy… takes a short possession over my body at certain times… in return for my memories?"

Xemnas looks down and sighs, "It would appear that way…"

Xathe's eyes open wide in shock, his pupils dilating in utter surprise. There was no way…

The boy in Xathe's mind… was slowly taking control of him… and by Xathe's permission…

* * *

**Was that Chapter long enough? I hope so. Let me know if I should make them longer or shorter… cuz I'm flexible with both.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed it! And I bet I can guess what you're thinking. "Oh great. A Number XVI? That's so dull and overused! Too many OC's!" or maybe you're thinking, "Does this mean you're just going to keep adding more members? Cuz that's lame!"**

**The answer to both is, "No." There's more to Xetah that you don't know about yet, so don't judge until you know the whole picture!**

**But R&R, and I'll be sure to update again, soon!**

**Catch ya later! -**_**KtD**_


	10. What Doesn't Kill You

_Chapter XI: Salt in the Wounds_

**Thanks again for the reviews! Your knowledge feeds my brain…**

**XIIIXV: I'm sorry! If it makes you feel better, it got stuck in my head while I was writing. XD  
Diabowserker: No, Xetah isn't a Replica. The sentence, "… becoming an exact replica of Xathe…" was a metaphor. That's a result of Xathe's over-dramatic way of thinking…**

**Xathe: I'm right here, idiot…  
Me: I knew that. :3  
Xathe: *grumbles* The Key To Darkness doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney or anything associated with either…**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**Written In the Stars **_**by **_**Tinie Tempah**_**]**

**{WARNING: Graphic Language used in this Chapter! Read at your own risk. You've been warned.}**

…

_**Day 300**_

…

…

Xathe knocks on the door three times. To Xathe's surprise, footsteps come to answer the door faster than he expected.

The door opens to reveal a slightly tall, brown-haired woman whose hair is put into a braid. "Oh, hello. I'm sorry; I thought you were going to be Cloud!" She giggles. This was Aerith…

"Um, hi. Wait… that's exactly who I'm looking for! Do you know where Cloud is?" Xathe asks, trying his best to sound like Tahe`… even though he was failing for the most part.

"Who are you exactly…?" Aerith asks suspiciously.

"You don't remember me?" Xathe asks, pretending to sound sad.

"D-Do you know me?" Aerith asks instead.

"But of course…" Xathe states. That common line of his sparks a light bulb in Aerith's mind.

"Tahe`?!" She gasps.

Xathe rolls his eyes and gives a 'Duh!' look. He is caught completely off guard by Aerith rushing into him and embracing him in a hug.

"What the hell?!" Xathe shouts. He was alright with pretending to sound friendly… but dealing with a hug was too far.

Aerith doesn't budge an inch and Xathe forms an irritated blush. He was becoming a bit… uncomfortable with the position he was in. '_Jeez! What the heck happened that made her so damn clingy?!_'

"I-I thought you w-were dead…" Aerith whispers in Xathe's leather-covered shoulder. '_I swear to Kingdom Hearts, if she soils my coat, I'm going to be pissed…_'

"I'm here, now, aren't I? What happened?" Xathe asks curiously.

Aerith steps away from Xathe and gawks at him in shock, "You mean you don't remember?" she gasps.

"Not really… no."

Aerith bites her bottom lip and looks away for a second before turning back to Xathe again, "Why don't you come in?"

"Fine," Xathe states in a monotone, walking in the door with her following. She shuts the door behind her as Xathe turns around to face her. "So tell me what happened. I can explain why I don't remember in a second, but first I need answers…"

"Alright… I'll try to explain, with the best of my knowledge." Aerith trails off.

A silence brewed in the air and lasted for several seconds. This was really starting to get on Xathe's nerves, "Well?"

"You see… it all started a few years back…" Aerith starts.

…

**(Flashback)**

_"What is wrong with you?" Cloud spits._

_"That's such a stupid question! You know that I have plenty wrong with me, idiot!" Tahe` counters the question._

_"That's not what I'm referring to. You know what I'm talking about, so stop stalling!" Cloud shouts. Cloud usually played it cool… but this was going too far… especially for Tahe`._

_"Maybe I __**want**__ to do this… is that too much for you?" Tahe` spits._

_"Yeah, it is. Why would you sign up for this? It's suicide… and overall, it's the wrong thing to do."_

_"You just don't understand. Don't even try to make assumptions about what I want to do! I have never felt so '__**at home**__' before in my life. You can't even fathom the knowledge I'm receiving there!" Tahe` goes on._

**(Cut-off Flashback)**

…

"Hold on, back-up. I worked for whom, now?" Xathe asks, confused.

"You… you signed up to help with research about hearts under Ansem the Wise. Well… at that point of time he was starting to lose control over his apprentices. Those apprentices were who you were working for," Aerith explains.

"Oh. Okay, that makes a little more sense. Go on, then."

…

**(Flashback)**

_"Why didn't you sign up under Ansem instead of this lunatic apprentice of his?!" Cloud asks, sighing in distress from Tahe`'s foolishness._

_"His name is Xehanort. I signed up with him because his research goes over the __**darkness**__ of the heart. That is the part I need to know about. And these studies and experiments are helping me better understand the truth about it. The gifts I can receive from it!" Tahe` explains._

_"It's wrong, Tahe`. I thought after the whole situation with your father, you would have understood that the Darkness is wrong," Cloud tries to persuade him._

_Tahe` shakes his head. "You're incorrect. The Darkness was never wrong! People only make it look wrong. I plan to use my Darkness to help people… while you stand idly by, and let it slowly consume you!"_

_Cloud is appalled by Tahe`'s accusation, "That's not true. I'm trying to find my inner light. What are you doing? You're literally signing up for people to force Darkness to consume your heart."_

_"Shut up! You don't fucking know me!" Tahe` shouts harshly._

_"Apparently you're right. Because the real Tahe` would never argue like this… or speak with such a foul mouth."_

_Tahe` was beginning to lose control over his anger._

_"The real Tahe` wouldn't let the Darkness control him… the real Tahe` would fight it, and strive towards the Light within him."_

_Tahe` clenches his right fist tightly._

_"The __**real **__Tahe`… would remember what was most important to him. He would remember that, no matter what hardship the Darkness put upon him… that his friends would be there for him the whole way…" Cloud trails off._

_"You're wrong, Cloud.'Cuz… this is the real Tahe`. This was who I was meant to be all along. I finally understand what my father meant about the Darkness… before he disappeared. He was so right… and I was too stubborn to see it…"_

_Cloud winces… afraid of what Tahe` is going to say._

_"The Darkness isn't evil… all it is… is an extension of Light itself. All Light will soon return to Darkness, as it began. It's all a cycle: from Darkness to Light, and then to Darkness again. It's how the universe's life goes… and how all life goes."_

_"Don't talk like that, Tahe`-…"_

_"And I, Tahe`, will boldly take the first step that humanity has always been too ignorant and fearful to take. The first step of the universe's evolution. Xehanort is supporting a life-changing cause. Why wait for the wonderful gifts that the Darkness could supply us with? Why not bring out those gifts now?"_

_Cloud was in complete shock by Tahe`'s newfound philosophy._

_"You don't understand now… but that's understandable. Humanity has always been too scared of the Darkness to embrace it and understand it. That's why I signed up for this research. I will help change the World to the way it was meant to be. You'll understand one day. You may even thank me…" Tahe` sighs, turning around and getting ready to walk away._

_"So… you think you're helping an unjust cause… by letting traitors use you as their guinea-pig? By becoming their newest experiment?"_

_"It's more than that, Cloud… you just… wouldn't understand."_

_"What? What are you even talking about? What is it that I wouldn't understand?" Cloud spits._

_"…Project XV…"_

**(End of Flashback)**

…

Xathe sits down in a chair, using his right hand to pull at his black locks of hair. This was so much to take in. It seemed… even in his past life… it was some-how revolved around Project XV…

"What happened afterwards…?" Xathe deadpans.

"You left… Cloud watched over you for a little while after that. He was curious of what studies Xehanort and the other apprentices were performing on you. One day… Cloud sneaked into the lab that they were doing their final testing on you in. Cloud described it… with much detail…" she trails off.

"What?" asks Xathe.

"To cut it shorter… he said that they tricked you into performing one last test that, supposedly, would help complete their task of learning about the heart. In reality, they wanted to test their new machine that was meant to remove a person's heart to make them become a Heartless…"

Xathe is starting to get the picture… and it's not pretty what the outcome is.

Aerith stops a sob from coming out, "Cloud said that the only thing he saw… was the fear in your eyes once you realized the truth. But it was far too late. He watched the great fire, that always burned in your eyes, burn out so… unceremoniously. He said… you looked so empty before he watched you die."

"I… died?" Xathe asks.

"That's what Cloud saw. The last thing he saw… before he couldn't bare to watch anymore… was them taking your Heartless, and putting it in a strange chamber. The last thing Cloud described was… the chamber had some sort of pink liquid in it… and Tahe`'s Heartless instantly fell into dormancy. He had no idea what they did with it afterwards," Aerith finishes.

Suddenly Xathe remembered a couple months back, what he saw in the laboratory back at Organization XIII.

…

**(Flashback)**

_Time seems to go in slow motion as he walks past the room. The room was once the laboratory that Vexen frequently worked in, at one time._

_Inside, was a giant desk in the center of the room, with lots of scientific tools and experiments. Around the desk, attached to the walls, were 13 big, glass tanks that all held strange pink liquid. Xathe's eyes open wide with surprise._

_The liquid wasn't what surprised him… but what was in it besides the liquid. The tanks also held a Neoshadow in each one. The Neoshadows floated ominously in the liquid, in dormancy. They were very much alive…_

_But as fast as he looked in, it disappeared as he walked away from it._

**(End of Flashback)**

…

The Neoshadows that Xathe saw… the chamber that Cloud described. They were both connected. But… how?

"I'm sorry… I just-… I think I need some time to think things over, Tahe`. I have thought you were dead for so long and… this is kind of hard to take in… considering what happened so long ago…"

"What happened?" asks Xathe, curiously. He desperately wanted to know everything.

"I'd rather not talk about it. But… let's just say that, you left us for your father."

"My father?

"Yeah. He was supposedly a very cruel old man. Cloud hated the vibes that your father gave him. Cloud only saw him but for a second… but he won't forget it…" Aerith trails off again.

"Who was he?" Xathe asks impatiently.

"I think you need to talk to Cloud for the rest of the story… he wouldn't appreciate me doing this. He wouldn't appreciate me talking to you, period…"

"Damn it! Why are you people so bent on confusing the hell out of me?! First the Organization, and now I can't even get answers from me old friends?! What the fuck is wrong with you damn people?!" Xathe shouts, very angrily.

"Tahe`!" Aerith gasps, backing up in fear.

"All I want are some _fucking_ answers… and this world just** loves** to tease the hell out of me! Well all of you have gone way beyond my limit of self-control! I'm to the point, that I don't even care who has information or not anymore! I might as well just kill everyone! Since everyone seems to get in my way!" Xathe screams, steam might as well have been shooting out his ears, he was so red in the face.

"Tahe`, please calm down! I'm sorry!" Aerith pleads with him.

Xathe slowly gains his calm back and stands straight. His glare did not waver from Aerith's eyes. It was obvious that he was extremely ticked…

"I'm just gonna go. You want space? You've got your damned space!" Xathe shouts, walking out the door and slamming it behind him.

Aerith looks to the floor with much sadness… if only Tahe` had come back on better terms than these…

…

…

…

Xathe walks out of his dark corridor inside of the grey room. He was still very angry, but at least he could keep his cool… not counting the harsh glare in his eyes.

"Have fun?" Xetah teases, walking up to Xathe.

Xathe simply pushes him lightly aside, "Fuck off."

Xetah's eye twitches as Xathe walks away, "What's his deal?" Xetah crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow. Sure the eyebrow couldn't be seen under his hood, but it was still kind of obvious.

…

…

…

Xathe rushes down the hallway that he walked through a couple months back. He had to see something… if he was right about this, then his hypothesis about Project XV was correct.

Seeing this would expose the hidden secrets of Project XV.

Sure this was just a guess… but something felt strangely truthful about it. Xathe had to know the truth of the project!

He finds the huge door to the laboratory, but this time it's sealed shut. Xathe stops and examines the door closely. Somebody sealed it from the outside… with some sort of magic lock. Whoever sealed the door wasn't playing around. They knew what they were doing, and had a reason behind it, too…

This just made Xathe's curiosity burst through the ceiling…

But how was he going to unlock the magic seal?

Suddenly, a Keyhole appears in the center of the seal. In response, Xathe's Keyblade summons on its own, inside of Xathe's grip. He understood now…

Xathe uses both hands to aim his Keyblade towards the Keyhole and the hole begins to glow. Instantly, a beam of light shoots out from Xathe's Keyblade and enters directly through the Keyhole.

He's taken back by the gust of wind that shoots out from the magic seal as it unlocks. The wind blows Xathe's hair back dramatically as the seal disappears along with the Keyhole. There was now just the door…

"…"

Xathe charges at the door and slams it open with his Keyblade, breaking the door off its hinges.

He leaps forward and plants his feet on the floored steel door. Xathe aims his Keyblade out dramatically, but then is caught with shock by what he sees inside the laboratory.

His Keyblade disappears in a flash. Xathe takes cautious steps towards the table in the center of the room. What he saw… was so much more than he expected…

All the chambers with the Heartless inside of them were destroyed. The pink liquids that the Heartless floated in were spilt across the floor, still bubbling. The Heartless were, apparently, genetically enhanced… because their bodies laid, dead in front of their pods. They didn't fade away like regular Heartless. Their bodies were almost realistic.

"Well… whatever project they were planning on using these things for must have failed if they killed them all and sealed the door…" Xathe sighs with disappointment.

He looks over and sees the table is completely cleared off except for some sort of journal. Xathe's curiosity kicks in once again and he walks over to the table, picking up the journal. He's tempted to read it, but he knows this is the wrong time. He needs to find a place where he knows he's alone and not under the watch of Xemnas…

Suddenly, footsteps are heard, coming down the hallway towards the laboratory.

Xathe is startled, putting the journal in his coat and disappearing into a dark corridor. The dark corridor fades instantly.

…

The cloaked man walks over to the laboratory and stops to see the broken hinges and the door laying flat on the floor inside the room.

"Looks like curiosity is going to kill the cat…" the man chuckles, walking away without even a second glance.

…

…

**Mysterious…**

**Good chapter, no? I hope you're enjoying the story. And for those of you who are offended by the graphic language… yell at Xathe, not me. I'm just the author!**

**Xathe: At least I can take criticism…  
Me: Shut up!**

**Well, it's Christmas Break, guys! So that means I'll be updating more frequently, now! :D  
Xathe: God, I love updates! :)  
Riku: When do I get to come in, again?! D:  
Me: Soon. Be patient, gosh.  
Xion: And what about me?  
Namine: Do I get a part?! :D  
Axel: Trolololo! :3**

**Too many questions! You'll have to wait 'til tomorrow or the next day to find out! -**_**The Key To Darkness**_


	11. Salt in the Wounds

_Chapter XI: Salt in the Wounds_

**Thanks again for the reviews! Your knowledge feeds my brain…**

**XIIIXV: I'm sorry! If it makes you feel better, it got stuck in my head while I was writing. XD  
Diabowserker: No, Xetah isn't a Replica. The sentence, "… becoming an exact replica of Xathe…" was a metaphor. That's a result of Xathe's over-dramatic way of thinking…**

**Xathe: I'm right here, idiot…  
Me: I knew that. :3  
Xathe: *grumbles* The Key To Darkness doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney or anything associated with either…**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**Written In the Stars **_**by **_**Tinie Tempah**_**]**

**{WARNING: Graphic Language used in this Chapter! Read at your own risk. You've been warned.}**

…

_**Day 300**_

…

…

Xathe knocks on the door three times. To Xathe's surprise, footsteps come to answer the door faster than he expected.

The door opens to reveal a slightly tall, brown-haired woman whose hair is put into a braid. "Oh, hello. I'm sorry; I thought you were going to be Cloud!" She giggles. This was Aerith…

"Um, hi. Wait… that's exactly who I'm looking for! Do you know where Cloud is?" Xathe asks, trying his best to sound like Tahe`… even though he was failing for the most part.

"Who are you exactly…?" Aerith asks suspiciously.

"You don't remember me?" Xathe asks, pretending to sound sad.

"D-Do you know me?" Aerith asks instead.

"But of course…" Xathe states. That common line of his sparks a light bulb in Aerith's mind.

"Tahe`?!" She gasps.

Xathe rolls his eyes and gives a 'Duh!' look. He is caught completely off guard by Aerith rushing into him and embracing him in a hug.

"What the hell?!" Xathe shouts. He was alright with pretending to sound friendly… but dealing with a hug was too far.

Aerith doesn't budge an inch and Xathe forms an irritated blush. He was becoming a bit… uncomfortable with the position he was in. '_Jeez! What the heck happened that made her so damn clingy?!_'

"I-I thought you w-were dead…" Aerith whispers in Xathe's leather-covered shoulder. '_I swear to Kingdom Hearts, if she soils my coat, I'm going to be pissed…_'

"I'm here, now, aren't I? What happened?" Xathe asks curiously.

Aerith steps away from Xathe and gawks at him in shock, "You mean you don't remember?" she gasps.

"Not really… no."

Aerith bites her bottom lip and looks away for a second before turning back to Xathe again, "Why don't you come in?"

"Fine," Xathe states in a monotone, walking in the door with her following. She shuts the door behind her as Xathe turns around to face her. "So tell me what happened. I can explain why I don't remember in a second, but first I need answers…"

"Alright… I'll try to explain, with the best of my knowledge." Aerith trails off.

A silence brewed in the air and lasted for several seconds. This was really starting to get on Xathe's nerves, "Well?"

"You see… it all started a few years back…" Aerith starts.

…

**(Flashback)**

_"What is wrong with you?" Cloud spits._

_"That's such a stupid question! You know that I have plenty wrong with me, idiot!" Tahe` counters the question._

_"That's not what I'm referring to. You know what I'm talking about, so stop stalling!" Cloud shouts. Cloud usually played it cool… but this was going too far… especially for Tahe`._

_"Maybe I __**want**__ to do this… is that too much for you?" Tahe` spits._

_"Yeah, it is. Why would you sign up for this? It's suicide… and overall, it's the wrong thing to do."_

_"You just don't understand. Don't even try to make assumptions about what I want to do! I have never felt so '__**at home**__' before in my life. You can't even fathom the knowledge I'm receiving there!" Tahe` goes on._

**(Cut-off Flashback)**

…

"Hold on, back-up. I worked for whom, now?" Xathe asks, confused.

"You… you signed up to help with research about hearts under Ansem the Wise. Well… at that point of time he was starting to lose control over his apprentices. Those apprentices were who you were working for," Aerith explains.

"Oh. Okay, that makes a little more sense. Go on, then."

…

**(Flashback)**

_"Why didn't you sign up under Ansem instead of this lunatic apprentice of his?!" Cloud asks, sighing in distress from Tahe`'s foolishness._

_"His name is Xehanort. I signed up with him because his research goes over the __**darkness**__ of the heart. That is the part I need to know about. And these studies and experiments are helping me better understand the truth about it. The gifts I can receive from it!" Tahe` explains._

_"It's wrong, Tahe`. I thought after the whole situation with your father, you would have understood that the Darkness is wrong," Cloud tries to persuade him._

_Tahe` shakes his head. "You're incorrect. The Darkness was never wrong! People only make it look wrong. I plan to use my Darkness to help people… while you stand idly by, and let it slowly consume you!"_

_Cloud is appalled by Tahe`'s accusation, "That's not true. I'm trying to find my inner light. What are you doing? You're literally signing up for people to force Darkness to consume your heart."_

_"Shut up! You don't fucking know me!" Tahe` shouts harshly._

_"Apparently you're right. Because the real Tahe` would never argue like this… or speak with such a foul mouth."_

_Tahe` was beginning to lose control over his anger._

_"The real Tahe` wouldn't let the Darkness control him… the real Tahe` would fight it, and strive towards the Light within him."_

_Tahe` clenches his right fist tightly._

_"The __**real **__Tahe`… would remember what was most important to him. He would remember that, no matter what hardship the Darkness put upon him… that his friends would be there for him the whole way…" Cloud trails off._

_"You're wrong, Cloud.'Cuz… this is the real Tahe`. This was who I was meant to be all along. I finally understand what my father meant about the Darkness… before he disappeared. He was so right… and I was too stubborn to see it…"_

_Cloud winces… afraid of what Tahe` is going to say._

_"The Darkness isn't evil… all it is… is an extension of Light itself. All Light will soon return to Darkness, as it began. It's all a cycle: from Darkness to Light, and then to Darkness again. It's how the universe's life goes… and how all life goes."_

_"Don't talk like that, Tahe`-…"_

_"And I, Tahe`, will boldly take the first step that humanity has always been too ignorant and fearful to take. The first step of the universe's evolution. Xehanort is supporting a life-changing cause. Why wait for the wonderful gifts that the Darkness could supply us with? Why not bring out those gifts now?"_

_Cloud was in complete shock by Tahe`'s newfound philosophy._

_"You don't understand now… but that's understandable. Humanity has always been too scared of the Darkness to embrace it and understand it. That's why I signed up for this research. I will help change the World to the way it was meant to be. You'll understand one day. You may even thank me…" Tahe` sighs, turning around and getting ready to walk away._

_"So… you think you're helping an unjust cause… by letting traitors use you as their guinea-pig? By becoming their newest experiment?"_

_"It's more than that, Cloud… you just… wouldn't understand."_

_"What? What are you even talking about? What is it that I wouldn't understand?" Cloud spits._

_"…Project XV…"_

**(End of Flashback)**

…

Xathe sits down in a chair, using his right hand to pull at his black locks of hair. This was so much to take in. It seemed… even in his past life… it was some-how revolved around Project XV…

"What happened afterwards…?" Xathe deadpans.

"You left… Cloud watched over you for a little while after that. He was curious of what studies Xehanort and the other apprentices were performing on you. One day… Cloud sneaked into the lab that they were doing their final testing on you in. Cloud described it… with much detail…" she trails off.

"What?" asks Xathe.

"To cut it shorter… he said that they tricked you into performing one last test that, supposedly, would help complete their task of learning about the heart. In reality, they wanted to test their new machine that was meant to remove a person's heart to make them become a Heartless…"

Xathe is starting to get the picture… and it's not pretty what the outcome is.

Aerith stops a sob from coming out, "Cloud said that the only thing he saw… was the fear in your eyes once you realized the truth. But it was far too late. He watched the great fire, that always burned in your eyes, burn out so… unceremoniously. He said… you looked so empty before he watched you die."

"I… died?" Xathe asks.

"That's what Cloud saw. The last thing he saw… before he couldn't bare to watch anymore… was them taking your Heartless, and putting it in a strange chamber. The last thing Cloud described was… the chamber had some sort of pink liquid in it… and Tahe`'s Heartless instantly fell into dormancy. He had no idea what they did with it afterwards," Aerith finishes.

Suddenly Xathe remembered a couple months back, what he saw in the laboratory back at Organization XIII.

…

**(Flashback)**

_Time seems to go in slow motion as he walks past the room. The room was once the laboratory that Vexen frequently worked in, at one time._

_Inside, was a giant desk in the center of the room, with lots of scientific tools and experiments. Around the desk, attached to the walls, were 13 big, glass tanks that all held strange pink liquid. Xathe's eyes open wide with surprise._

_The liquid wasn't what surprised him… but what was in it besides the liquid. The tanks also held a Neoshadow in each one. The Neoshadows floated ominously in the liquid, in dormancy. They were very much alive…_

_But as fast as he looked in, it disappeared as he walked away from it._

**(End of Flashback)**

…

The Neoshadows that Xathe saw… the chamber that Cloud described. They were both connected. But… how?

"I'm sorry… I just-… I think I need some time to think things over, Tahe`. I have thought you were dead for so long and… this is kind of hard to take in… considering what happened so long ago…"

"What happened?" asks Xathe, curiously. He desperately wanted to know everything.

"I'd rather not talk about it. But… let's just say that, you left us for your father."

"My father?

"Yeah. He was supposedly a very cruel old man. Cloud hated the vibes that your father gave him. Cloud only saw him but for a second… but he won't forget it…" Aerith trails off again.

"Who was he?" Xathe asks impatiently.

"I think you need to talk to Cloud for the rest of the story… he wouldn't appreciate me doing this. He wouldn't appreciate me talking to you, period…"

"Damn it! Why are you people so bent on confusing the hell out of me?! First the Organization, and now I can't even get answers from me old friends?! What the fuck is wrong with you damn people?!" Xathe shouts, very angrily.

"Tahe`!" Aerith gasps, backing up in fear.

"All I want are some _fucking_ answers… and this world just** loves** to tease the hell out of me! Well all of you have gone way beyond my limit of self-control! I'm to the point, that I don't even care who has information or not anymore! I might as well just kill everyone! Since everyone seems to get in my way!" Xathe screams, steam might as well have been shooting out his ears, he was so red in the face.

"Tahe`, please calm down! I'm sorry!" Aerith pleads with him.

Xathe slowly gains his calm back and stands straight. His glare did not waver from Aerith's eyes. It was obvious that he was extremely ticked…

"I'm just gonna go. You want space? You've got your damned space!" Xathe shouts, walking out the door and slamming it behind him.

Aerith looks to the floor with much sadness… if only Tahe` had come back on better terms than these…

…

…

…

Xathe walks out of his dark corridor inside of the grey room. He was still very angry, but at least he could keep his cool… not counting the harsh glare in his eyes.

"Have fun?" Xetah teases, walking up to Xathe.

Xathe simply pushes him lightly aside, "Fuck off."

Xetah's eye twitches as Xathe walks away, "What's his deal?" Xetah crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow. Sure the eyebrow couldn't be seen under his hood, but it was still kind of obvious.

…

…

…

Xathe rushes down the hallway that he walked through a couple months back. He had to see something… if he was right about this, then his hypothesis about Project XV was correct.

Seeing this would expose the hidden secrets of Project XV.

Sure this was just a guess… but something felt strangely truthful about it. Xathe had to know the truth of the project!

He finds the huge door to the laboratory, but this time it's sealed shut. Xathe stops and examines the door closely. Somebody sealed it from the outside… with some sort of magic lock. Whoever sealed the door wasn't playing around. They knew what they were doing, and had a reason behind it, too…

This just made Xathe's curiosity burst through the ceiling…

But how was he going to unlock the magic seal?

Suddenly, a Keyhole appears in the center of the seal. In response, Xathe's Keyblade summons on its own, inside of Xathe's grip. He understood now…

Xathe uses both hands to aim his Keyblade towards the Keyhole and the hole begins to glow. Instantly, a beam of light shoots out from Xathe's Keyblade and enters directly through the Keyhole.

He's taken back by the gust of wind that shoots out from the magic seal as it unlocks. The wind blows Xathe's hair back dramatically as the seal disappears along with the Keyhole. There was now just the door…

"…"

Xathe charges at the door and slams it open with his Keyblade, breaking the door off its hinges.

He leaps forward and plants his feet on the floored steel door. Xathe aims his Keyblade out dramatically, but then is caught with shock by what he sees inside the laboratory.

His Keyblade disappears in a flash. Xathe takes cautious steps towards the table in the center of the room. What he saw… was so much more than he expected…

All the chambers with the Heartless inside of them were destroyed. The pink liquids that the Heartless floated in were spilt across the floor, still bubbling. The Heartless were, apparently, genetically enhanced… because their bodies laid, dead in front of their pods. They didn't fade away like regular Heartless. Their bodies were almost realistic.

"Well… whatever project they were planning on using these things for must have failed if they killed them all and sealed the door…" Xathe sighs with disappointment.

He looks over and sees the table is completely cleared off except for some sort of journal. Xathe's curiosity kicks in once again and he walks over to the table, picking up the journal. He's tempted to read it, but he knows this is the wrong time. He needs to find a place where he knows he's alone and not under the watch of Xemnas…

Suddenly, footsteps are heard, coming down the hallway towards the laboratory.

Xathe is startled, putting the journal in his coat and disappearing into a dark corridor. The dark corridor fades instantly.

…

The cloaked man walks over to the laboratory and stops to see the broken hinges and the door laying flat on the floor inside the room.

"Looks like curiosity is going to kill the cat…" the man chuckles, walking away without even a second glance.

…

…

**Mysterious…**

**Good chapter, no? I hope you're enjoying the story. And for those of you who are offended by the graphic language… yell at Xathe, not me. I'm just the author!**

**Xathe: At least I can take criticism…  
Me: Shut up!**

**Well, it's Christmas Break, guys! So that means I'll be updating more frequently, now! :D  
Xathe: God, I love updates! :)  
Riku: When do I get to come in, again?! D:  
Me: Soon. Be patient, gosh.  
Xion: And what about me?  
Namine: Do I get a part?! :D  
Axel: Trolololo! :3**

**Too many questions! You'll have to wait 'til tomorrow or the next day to find out! -**_**The Key To Darkness**_


	12. Vanitas

_Chapter XII: True Lies_

**Answers shall be given! This will be one of the most major Chapters in the story!**

**I'm going to save you the time of reading my jabber-jaw and just get straight to the story. Xathe…**

**Xathe: Right… The Key To Darkness does not own anything from Kingdom Hearts even though he'd like to. Who knows? Maybe he will someday…  
Me: Thank you, Xathe.  
Xathe: Whatever… *rips script apart (that Key To Darkness gave him) and walks away***

**[Song Inspiration: **_**Never Ending Story **_**by **_**DJ AC-DC**_**]**

**-**_**The Key To Darkness**_

…

…

_**Day 313**_

…

Xathe sits on the edge of the station plaza tower with the journal he took from the laboratory in hand.

He spent nearly two weeks trying to find free time to hide and read what secrets were contained inside this small booklet. He was either given unusually long missions, busy with Xetah trying to talk to him, or Axel taking him out for ice cream. Not to mention Demyx. He is desperately trying to get Xathe to listen to these new music pieces, he comes up with.

"Finally…" Xathe exasperates.

He slowly opens the book, his non-existent heart pounding with excitement and curiosity. His eyes open widely to make sure that he read each word carefully…

"_Journal Entry 1…" _Xathe reads quietly. He then begins to read through the first paragraph.

…

_May nobody ever read the words that are written in these next few entries. These entries are for my eyes only and shall remain as so. The reason for me writing this, is to take notes over Project XV. Especially over Subject Number 14. Amazingly, his progress is going a lot faster than the other Subjects. The reason behind this, I could only take guesses at._

_The one thing I fear for Subject 14, is the aggressiveness of his nature. If it falls to its animalistic instincts, all is lost for the fourteen Subjects. I wish not to shut the Project down, because Xathe (A.K.A. Subject XV) is proving himself difficult to deal with. He won't respond in the way we planned him to._

_I'm afraid that we might have to shut down Project XV because of this…_

_It was always a fragile strategy to begin with, but we don't need a back-up Project to stop us from attaining our "true" goal. Project XV was always a back-up Project… but it became quite reliable once it started panning out. Now… it has gone down-hill and is going quite fast. It seems that Xathe (A.K.A. Subject XV) will have to be terminated once and for all…_

_-Xemnas, Number I_

…

Xathe scratches his head in confusion. "Terminate me? And who is Subject 14? Apparently I'm Subject 15. But… isn't Xion Number XIV?" Xathe shakes his head in confusion. He'll just have to read on.

This time, the next entry has some sort of smudged out date on it. It was very illegible but it seemed to have a couple different numbers in it. Whoever last used this journal must have wanted to keep the dates a secret.

…

_Journal Entry 2…_

_A new hope has sparked for Project XV. As of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness's defeat… two new Nobodies have formed. A young boy with no name and a young girl who goes by the name of Namine`._

_We have easily gotten Namine` to submit to our bidding and we have discovered some interesting abilities that she has been gifted with. She has the unusual ability to bend the memories of those who have any connection to Sora (A.K.A. Subject XIII). This has become an advantage for the Organization, considering Xathe's (A.K.A. Subject XV) connections to Sora._

_I may be the only one to know of these connections… but it still remains a fact._

_I have already dispatched orders for Namine` to begin wiping Xathe's memories of his past life as Tahe` (A.K.A. Subject XIV). I have high hopes for these orders to bring life back to the dormant Project XV. The odds of this happening are unknown as of now. I can only watch and wait as Namine`'s orders are fulfilled…_

_I am involving others in this Project now. I have assigned Axel (A.K.A. Subject VIII) to be the caretaker and trainer for Xathe. I have assigned Zexion (A.K.A. Subject VI) to alter Xathe's surroundings and trick him into slowly travelling to Castle Oblivion where Namine` resides. (The closer Xathe is to Namine`, the easier for the memory-wipe to succeed). I have also assigned Xigbar (A.K.A. Subject II) to watch over the whole thing and make sure everything goes smoothly and as planned._

_Failure is not an option, because failure will result in the shut-down of Project XV._

_This should be the last entry I write for Project XV. As well as my last entry for Subject 14. I do not want to stay too focused on Project XV when there is already work to be done in gathering hearts for Kingdom Hearts' creation. That is the reason why I have assigned the members of Organization XIII (of my specific choice) to watch over Project XV. It is their duty for now while mine is to make sure Kingdom Hearts' creation is completed._

_Vexen (A.K.A. Subject IV) is now assigned to take short notes on Subject 14's development. He may take notes on Project XV as he wishes, but I prefer he notes mostly on Subject 14._

_-Xemnas, Number I_

…

Xathe strokes his chin in thought.

"So… Subject 14… was Tahe`? But… Aerith told me that he died. Well… she did also mention his Heartless. Perhaps they were doing tests on the Heartless and just decided for it to inherit the name 'Subject 14'? That's peculiar. I need to find more info about this," Xathe explains to himself.

This journal was definitely a big help so far.

It appeared that Xathe was, at a time, on the run from the Organization. Tahe`'s death, which led to Xathe's creation, must have been remembered by Xathe in his new life. When he saw Organization XIII was after him, he must have known that their experiments on him were not done yet.

So that's why he ran away from them…

Before Xathe became the way he was now, he actually had fears of his own. That's quite the opposite of how Xathe is now. The new Xathe feared just about nothing, other than one thing that he'd be too embarrassed to say…

Xathe flips the page. For some reason there are signs of many pages being torn out. To prove it further, the next entry is started with '_Journal Entry 32_'.

Xathe reads it.

…

_It's preposterous that Marluxia would betray us like this! I can only hope that we can defuse this conflict and give these traitors the proper punishment they deserve._

_This treachery is only going to make my job one-hundred percent harder and I can only imagine how Axel feels, having to babysit Namine` __**and**__ the boy. Not to mention, he has to fit in dealing with the Keyblade master and acting out on the traitors' side. I actually feel slight sympathy for him. I almost do, anyways._

_But I'm being assigned to take notes in this journal about the boy, not Organization XIII's troubles._

_What I'm still not understanding, is the fact that Xathe slept for __**that**__ long. He should have only been out for a little while. Namine` said it could have been only a year at the most, and how long was he out?_

_Two and half years!_

_I blame all of this on Vanitas. I knew, when I was a human, that it was a bad idea to store his heart inside of Tahe`. Sure, Vanitas kept Xathe/Tahe`'s strength intact and can even double or possibly triple his power as long as Xathe allows it, but he is nothing but trouble._

_He's putting thoughts in Xathe's head and he's making Xathe rebellious and suspicious of everything. It's making Xathe's personality beyond the level of where we wanted him._

_It was a mistake to put Vanitas' heart inside of Xathe to begin with. He's not helping with Xathe's personality development… he's making Xathe worse._

_We wanted him to become somebody who was brave and not afraid to kill. Somebody who put his duty first, before anything. Somebody who was ruthless and showed no mercy towards those who defied him._

_Did we get that?_

_No, we did not. Vanitas is turning Xathe into somebody similar to Vanitas himself. Xathe is now over-confident, rude, and doesn't trust anybody around him. He might as well just be serving us because he's bored! But then you put Namine` in the room… and he behaves himself…_

_What is it with their friendship? I simply cannot comprehend their strange bond. Nothing is turning out the way we planned… yet Xemnas sent a message through Axel the other day that he was pleased with the updates on Xathe's development. Xemnas is pleased with how Xathe is turning out? The Superior has to be hiding something from us…_

_Other than that, we have come to believe that Xathe may be close to the power of the Keyblade master… if only his over-confidence didn't get in the way. If he can somehow break that barrier of arrogance… he may become even stronger than the Keyblade master himself._

_That… would be very beneficial to Organization XIII._

_-Vexen, Number IV_

…

Xathe stands up on the ledge of the building, dropping the journal next to him. "Oh my god…"

Xathe grabs his head and tries to take in everything. That wasn't even all that was in the journal! What else could have possibly been hidden from him?!

"The raven-haired boy… my conscious… the voices… their all the same person…" Xathe takes it in slowly.

"His name… is Vanitas."

Suddenly everything around him becomes blurry and distorted. The buildings and sky begin to warp and wave in a strange motion. Xathe gets extremely dizzy as if he instantly had vertigo and his knees shake from his wavering.

Before he even realizes it… he falls off the ledge.

Xathe shouts in fear as he reaches for the ledge but his body falls too far for his reach. But then, his fall goes in slow motion as a voice speaks to him.

"_**Looks like you finally figured it out, didn't you?**_" the voice chuckles.

'_Who are you? I mean like… who are you, really?' _Xathe asks.

…

Xathe slowly flips over onto his feet in a world of blackness. He's inside of his heart. He looks up to see the raven-haired boy, Vanitas, standing a few yards away from him with his back turned.

"You already know my name, now, don't you?" asks Vanitas.

"Yes. But that doesn't explain anything to me. Who is Vanitas? Who are you?"

Vanitas becomes very quiet all of a sudden. He says nothing for longer than Xathe's tolerance can take, "Tell me something, Vanitas."

Vanitas shakes his head slowly.

"Tell me… or I won't use your powers anymore," Xathe threatens. This makes Vanitas tense up. Xathe knows that he won Vanitas' decision.

"Well… I'm you, now…" Vanitas states.

"That doesn't explain your past. I know that you were once someone else besides Xathe…" scoffs Xathe.

"… I was an apprentice to Master Xehanort. You were too… for a little while at least. Then some things happened and you quit. And boy, was Master Xehanort pissed. He gave me an order to destroy you for treachery. Of course, I followed that order, considering I really didn't have a choice…" Vanitas explains.

**(Flashback)**

_Vanitas takes a few steps back from Tahe`; falling to one knee, "Not… bad…" he chuckles weakly._

_"You've definitely gotten stronger since our last fight…" Vanitas coughs._

_"I told you, before you disappeared… I'd be the one to win next time," Tahe` breathes heavily, worn out from the fight._

_"Well… you aren't too bad…" Vanitas trails off, standing up and regaining his posture to Tahe`'s surprise. He didn't expect Vanitas to get back up so quickly._

_'I hope he's not ready to fight again. I'm far too worn down to go through another one…' Tahe` gasps inwardly._

_"Master Xehanort will return, soon."_

_Tahe` looks up at him in shock. Was Vanitas… trying to warn Tahe`? Even after the many feuds they had as partners, he was trying to keep Tahe` from being killed? "What are you… saying?"_

_"I'm telling you to get the hell outta here before it's too late!" Vanitas spits._

_"Oh… right!" Tahe` struggles to stand straight again before opening a dark corridor behind him. He rushes at the dark corridor but then suddenly stops and turns his head to Vanitas, "Thank you…"_

_Vanitas growls, turning his head to the side. He didn't want to be caught blushing because he just did a good deed. That wasn't like Vanitas to help others… but he knew Tahe` would become important to him one day. He wasn't sure how or why… but he knew he'd be rewarded for helping Tahe` someday._

_With that, Tahe` vanished in the dark corridor._

**(End of Flashback)**

"So… you were right after-all? About Tahe` being able to help you in the future?" Xathe asks.

"Well… no not really. You see… I lied about being invited into your body…"

"What?"

"I was forced into you by Xehanort when I died. I guess he expected my death in some way… so he made sure that I lived on. He didn't want the Darkness of Ventus being completely destroyed from existence so he laid my heart dormant in the body of Tahe`, so I could recover from the damage to my heart." Vanitas explains.

"So then… when Tahe` died… your heart was transferred to me?" Xathe asks.

"You're catching on. But you have to think deeper than just a transfer. I became you, upon the transfer. That's how we are the same person," Vanitas explains.

Xathe looks down, then back up at Vanitas, pointing at himself, "So… I'm Vanitas?"

Vanitas smirks, "Pretty much. We're one person now, and nothing can change that. My heart is connected to you, Tahe`. My goal has become yours, and yours is mine."

"Wait… what is your goal?" asks Xathe.

"You're going to have to give me 'something' if you want your answers." Vanitas chuckles.

"What? No! I'm happy that we can co-exist like this, but this is my body! I can't let you take control over it… even if it is just for a little while!" Xathe argues.

"Heh… I thought you would have understood by now… I overestimated your maturity…" the black world becomes distorted and blurry, "… soon you will understand… and all the answers will become yours."

The light of the real world blocks Xathe's vision of Vanitas, "Vanitas! Wait! No!"

...

Everything appears to Xathe again… and he's no longer falling. Somebody has caught Xathe's hand before it was too late. Xathe looks up to see who saved him and smirks slowly. He would never mistake that red hair for anyone's...

"You need to be more careful, newbie. _Got it memorized_?"

…

…

**End of Chapter 12. Like? Dislike?**

**Whichever it is, let me know! I hope you got plenty of answers… even though there's plenty more of unanswered ones. XD**

**Xathe: I'm Vanitas. O_O  
Vanitas: I'm Xathe? O_O  
Roxas: What the hell is going on? D:  
Xetah: Wait, what?**

**Seeya on the next update. **_**(P.S. Should I make a Christmas themed Chapter? Like where Xathe goes to Christmas Town or does something Christmassy? I'd like to, but I want some opinions on the idea!) -The Key To Darkness**_


	13. Expendable

_Chapter XIII: Expendable_

**Hurray for a whole 13 Chapters, am I right? :D**

**We got the number for the Organization now! Heh… anyways… this Chapter and the next couple ones will be vital to the story and Xathe's major character development… so enjoy.**

**Xathe: (Disclaimer) He doesn't own Kingdom Hearts. Now stop reading this useless piece of information and read the story!**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**Fireflies **_**by _Owl City_****]**

**-**_**The Key To Darkness**_

…

_**Day 313**_

…

…

Axel lifts Xathe up over the ledge to safety.

Axel stands there in silence for a second as Xathe gets to his feet slowly. Xathe looks down, embarrassed that he had to be saved by Axel. "Sorry…"

"For what? I'm sure you didn't **try** to fall!" Axel laughs.

"I know… but I shouldn't have-"

"Don't stress about it, man. At least I was here to help, you know?" Axel encourages.

"Yeah…" Xathe looks to Axel as he leans down to pick something off the ground. He looks at what Axel holds out to him curiously before gasping.

Axel chuckles, "Here's your journal…"

Xathe grabs it quickly with an "Eep!" and stuffs it in his coat. That was a little too close. If Axel had known where he got the journal… it would not be pretty.

"I came here to look for Xion… but it looks like I found you instead. I came up here to see what you were doing, when you fell. You must have had a really bad head rush to get so dizzy like that."

Xathe rubs the back of his head awkwardly, "Yeah… you could say that."

"Come on… let's R.T.C. You look like you could use some rest… and I'm sure Saix is going to have a couple missions he wants you to do when you wake up," Axel sighs, opening a dark corridor behind him and walking into it. Xathe follows him and the dark corridor disappears.

…

_**Day 325**_

…

…

Xathe sits up from his couch in the grey room and sighs in boredom. Suddenly, his thoughts of boredom are interrupted by somebody calling for him, "Hey Xathe…"

Xathe looks up from the floor to see Xetah approaching him, "Oh… hey Xetah."

But then… Xetah does the most unexpected thing that Xathe could have thought of: he takes his hood off of his head. Xathe gasps and is taken by surprise. Xetah looks up, his yellow irises show some sort of suspicious concern, "Have you been… feeling okay?"

Xathe pauses for a moment, trying to take in what just happened. Xetah's silver bangs float in front of his eyes and his hair is ruffled and spiky. He looks very familiar for some reason…

His skin is very tan, like the way Xathe used to look. Recently, Xathe has become quite pale even though his detailed features and muscle tone didn't change any. Xetah almost looked like a perfect version of Xathe… except without the "Xathe".

Xetah snaps his fingers in Xathe's face, breaking his trance. "I asked you a question, imbecile."

"Yes, I'm fine. Why?"

"Do you feel tired at all? Sick, maybe?"

This made Xathe suspicious, "Why do you ask…?"

"You seem worn down, lately. I'm just wondering if that's the way you actually feel or if you're just being an ass all the time…" Xetah explains.

"I'm not being an ass. Yes, I feel tired all the time… but it's probably because of my prolonged missions with you. I just need sleep is all…"

"Then why haven't you gotten any? You're almost always asleep… so why would you still be so tired?" Xetah contemplates.

"You're confusing me…"

"Never mind… you're just too stupid to realize how sick you're actually becoming." Xetah snarls.

Xathe glares at him harshly, "And why would I be sick, then, Xetah? Why don't you try making some damn sense?" he spits.

"I have no clue! Maybe you're lacking something or someone. I don't know! I just want my partner in fit condition for our missions, and for a long time now, that hasn't happened. In fact, you're getting worse."

"What the fuck do you want from me, Xetah?!" Xathe yells, angrily. Sure, this was a bit much for Xathe, but Xetah was not only confusing Xathe… but his antics were becoming annoying. Xathe hates it when people show any concern for him. But now, Xetah was to the point of mocking his level of skill and his condition.

Okay… so Xathe did feel like crap more and more lately. But that didn't mean anything!

"I want you to take a break! Try doing something with your life that doesn't involve working yourself to death. You do four missions a day!" Xetah counters.

"Fine, I'll take a break. If it means getting you off my back!" Xathe shouts, walking past Xetah towards the hallway. Suddenly he stops and turns his head back to Xetah. "And besides, I could still take you on in a fight any day."

Xathe knew he hit a nerve in saying that but he didn't care. Xetah is just too annoying! He didn't make any sense when he talked, he speaks in riddles and only hints on things that he wants, and over-all: he was just plain useless!

Xathe walks away but then suddenly, the room around him distorts like it did the last time… but different. It felt as if the walls were closing in on him and he eventually dropped to the floor in defeat.

"What… what's happening… to me?" Xathe gasps for air.

He hears Xetah's voice in his head, "_Perhaps you should be more respectful of your better half…"_

"Xetah… what… what do you mean… what's… happening?!"

"_Sleep._"

Instantly Xathe loses control of his body and blacks out onto the cold floor of the grey room.

…

…

…

**-Xathe's P.O.V.-**

…

_I open my eyes to the familiar world of darkness that has been named as my heart… or at least what I think is my heart._

_I don't even know anymore. I don't understand anything. I find out that everybody has lied to me about everything… and now I don't know the difference between the truth and the lies…_

_Is there even a difference between them? A difference between the truth and the false? If there truly isn't, then what about the Light and the Darkness? Or my broken dreams and the reality of the real world?_

_Perhaps I'm actually starting to understand…_

_There's no difference. No true separation. The "difference" between them is all a matter of opinion. It all depends on the person's outlook of their differences and similarities. Light is no different from Darkness. They're really the same… but the world has judged them as opposites. The truth is made up of lies bundled together in order to make sense in the world. Yet the world has judged them as opposites. My dreams make up the world around me that has been named, "reality"… and the world has judged them as opposites._

_My reality is starting to become a figment of my imagination, while my dreams are becoming who I am. I am changing… changing to the truth of the world. If there really is such a thing as truth…_

_I do understand._

_The journal, my dreams, Vanitas, Xetah, the Organization, the Heartless… they're all connected._

_I know my path. I know what I must do. I know what my purpose is; my destiny. I know what my next move will be._

_My only problem is…_

_My lack of reasoning to fulfill it…_

_I'm stuck in a world of lies and torment. I'm stuck there, until I find my place in this world. Once I find it… I'll know the difference… the difference between Everything and Nothing. Light and Darkness. Truth and Lies. Dreams and Reality._

_The time is quickly approaching… the time of my rebirth._

…

**-End of P.O.V.-**

…

…

_**Day 330**_

…

Xathe walks drowsily down the hall of Organization XIII. He finished the journal…

He knew the answers to Project XV now. The truth… was most disturbing. How the Organization could come up with this plan haunted Xathe.

The words of the last two entries stuck in Xathe's brain like a scar… and it was not leaving anytime soon…

…

'_Journal Entry 63,_

_Xathe's progress is disgusting._

_Even with the knowledge of Organization XIII being his last hope of rebirth… he still refuses to obey our commands. He has become most rebellious. I can only hope that Subject 14 would hurry up and finish its full creation before Xathe completely rebels against us._

_Xathe's feelings towards Xion have been told to me by Xathe. This information was vile and I struggled not to lose my lunch. Vanitas has betrayed us and he plans on using Xathe for his own purposes. This has become obvious, from the emotions that Xathe has been experiencing. Project XV will be terminated and replaced by Project XVI. This project will be much more reliable than the failed Project XV._

_Project XVI will be the answers to our prayers. And if not… even then we have nothing to worry about. Organization XIII's odds of winning over Kingdom Hearts are increasing every day. We have two Keyblade wielders, a rebel, and a plan. This plan will destroy the rebel and become our first Keyblade master._

_Then, once Subject i. (A.K.A. Xion) absorbs Roxas, we will have two Keyblade masters!_

_Xion and Roxas, together, will become: Sora._

_Xathe and Subject 14 together, will become: Tahe`._

_-Xemnas, Number I'_

…

Xathe cringes at the remembrance of it. The truth really did hurt…

And then there was the final entry in the book… the words were scribbled hastily and quite violently…

…

'_Journal Entry 64,_

_**Subject 14 is here! I have awakened and now have a name, given to me from my Superior!**_

_**I was once a hideous creature… and am now a Nobody.**_

_**My purpose has been given, and my destiny has begun!**_

_**Your life is coming to an end… Xathe!**_

_-Xetah'_

…

So this was the full truth all along…

Xathe felt stupid for not realizing this sooner. Xetah was false all along! He knew that there was no true reason that the Organization needed a new member. Xetah became a member… in order to replace Xathe.

That explained it…

That person that Xathe thought Xetah reminded him of… was Tahe` from Xathe's dreams. He now knew what Xetah truly was and it was time to expose him…

Xathe didn't like this new feeling that he received upon gaining this knowledge.

The feeling… of being expendable.

…

…

**Shoo! Sorry if that felt rushed at all. I kind of got excited while writing this.**

**Before you ask, yes it was quite short. But that's for a reason! Next Chapter will be normal length, unless suggested otherwise. Thank you, beautiful people! I hope this answered a lot of your questions!**

**Tell me what you think! You people are hiding from me and I have no idea what you're thinking. XD**

**Thanks! -**_**The Key To Darkness**_


	14. End of The Line

_Chapter XIV: End of The Line_

**Warning: Epic Chapter ahead!**

**I can guarantee that this Chapter is going to shock you! So prepare to get your socks blown off 'cuz we're getting this show on the road!**

**Me: Disclaimer?  
Xathe: The Key To Darkness  
Me: Does not  
Xathe: Own  
Me: Kingdom Hearts  
Xathe: Now shut up and read more about me! :3  
Me:…**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**Afterlife **_**by _Switchfoot_****]  
-**_**The Key To Darkness**_

…

_**Day 330**_

…

…

Xathe walks into the empty grey room, for what he expects to be the last time he will ever do so.

As he expected, Xetah was there. But he was facing away, gazing out the window at the giant heart-shaped moon known as, Kingdom Hearts. Xathe stops and glares at Xetah harshly, expecting him to become hostile. But strangely he didn't…

"You know what I see, when I look at Kingdom Hearts, Xathe?" asks Xetah nonchalantly.

Xathe does not answer and simply stares at Xetah.

"I see my future…" he pauses. Xathe was trying to figure out what he was trying to do, but continued to listen all-the-same. "… my future… with you."

This surprises Xathe for a moment but he continues to listen.

"Today…" he stops and chuckles mysteriously."Today we become whole again…"

Xathe decides to speak up, "Don't bother handing me that shit… I know what you are…"

Xetah turns his head a little bit, his silver bangs floating to that side.

"… Heartless scum…" Xathe snarls.

Xetah turns his head back to the window and lifts his hands in the air, towards Kingdom Hearts. He howls a slow, maniacal laughter that puts Xathe in defense mode. Xathe shows his teeth with a growl, pulling his right hand back and summoning his newest Keyblade, Lunar Gear.

The Keyblade is long and broad. A crescent-moon is held at the end of the blade and a small golden arrow is in the center of the moon.

"So you finally solved the riddle, eh? Took you long enough. I was beginning to fear that I would have completely **absorbed **you by the time you figured it out…"

Xathe gasps, "Absorbed me?"

Xetah chuckles amusedly, "You heard correct. The whole time that I have been here… I have slowly sucked in your life force. You are the reason for my, now, immense power. You are the reason for my looks as well. Since that first day that you trained me… I relied on your power and energy to fuel me and transform me into what I am today,"

Xathe listens in disbelief.

"But that's all the past now, isn't it?" he snickers. "This is the now… and **now** is the time, when two halves become whole again!"

Xathe gets in his offensive stance, "Get real! You're obviously on the short end of the stick!"

"Oh, but you are wrong…"

It gets dead silent as Xetah turns around to fully face Xathe. A large Heartless-symbol glows on the side of his neck brightly.

His voice gets ominously deep, "You are the one who is short of power. You're mine now, Xathe. Together… we will become Tahe` once again!" Xetah laughs deeply.

"No! I am my own person now, and I'm not changing! All the power in the world would not change my mind! I am Xathe… the Night Wanderer and the Deserter. Tahe` is dead… and you will **never** change that!" Xathe screams, rushing at Xetah with his Keyblade drawn for a lethal strike.

Xetah throws his hand out beside him and the whole room rumbles as his weapon prepares to be summoned.

This was it… the moment that would decide Xathe's fate. Whether he lived or died… he knew that he fought to the bitter end. This was the crossroads to Xathe's destiny. The gamble of fate… had begun.

A gigantic, magic war-axe flashes into Xetah's palm in a devastating display of lights that throws the couches across the room and shakes the walls of the entire grey room.

Xathe runs straight through the tangled sparks of electricity and keeps his charge towards Xetah.

Xetah laughs loudly as he levitates into the air and spins his war-axe at dangerous speeds before chucking it at Xathe. The projectile axe comes in slow motion at Xathe before he pulls his Keyblade up and summons a quick barrier that deflects the axe and throws it into the air. This was at the price of Xathe crashing into the floor behind him.

He gets up as fast as he can… yet it's not fast enough as Xetah glides at him and grabs his deflected axe on the way down. Xathe jumps to his feet just as Xetah slams him far down the hallway with the larger end of his weapon.

Xetah goes back into his levitation as he waits for Xathe to come rushing out from the darkened hallway once again… but he doesn't.

"Where are you hiding?!" Xetah snarls angrily.

"Why don't you grow a brain, ass-hole?" Xetah hears from behind him. He spins around right as a spinning Keyblade lands in his face and throws him higher into the air. Xetah back-flips, before regaining his position in the air. The Keyblade spins back around to Xathe. "What's wrong? Did I catch you by surprise?"

"Shut the hell up!" Xetah screams in rage. He summons his powers over the Unknown, by distorting the walls and altering the room around him to become a confusing puzzle that Xathe blatantly ignores.

Xathe does the last thing Xetah expects: he simply turns around and walks towards the wall behind him.

"I'm over here, you fool!" Xetah tries to prod him.

Xathe does a hand gesture to represent some sort of wave as he walks straight through the distorted wall and disappears.

"How did you-?!" Xetah is interrupted by Xathe's voice behind him, "-Figure out the trick to your power? Notes and observation, comrade. Get it memorized." Xathe chuckles.

"What did you-" a Keyblade is seen by his peripheral vision and he quickly deflects it with his much larger weapon and then drives his axe into Xathe again. Xathe yelps in pain, before shooting through the distorted wall and coming out on the opposite side of the room. He falls to the floor and struggles to get himself up.

"Agh… damn it," Xathe curses.

"Come on, Xathe! I always thought you were better than me up until now. Prove me wrong! Use that latent ability of yours…" Xetah prods again.

Xathe makes it to his feet and picks up the Lunar Gear, "No… I will not let myself fall to that level of Darkness. I don't care if Vanitas can make me stronger… I wish to keep my body!"

"Too bad… because this would be the last time you will ever use it. Pity. Then you will die in shame!" Xetah shouts, summoning dozens of Heartless to surround Xathe.

The numerous versions of Heartless all dog-pile onto Xathe and cover him in a shroud of Darkness. Xathe crosses his arms over his chest and pulls his knees to his arms. The Heartless close in for the kill, but Xathe flexes out his limbs. Instantly a wave of magic sends the Heartless flying into the distorted walls and they fade into nothing. Xathe screams in pain before dropping to the floor from his short levitation.

He takes in a sharp breath before Xetah charges in and slams his axe into his torso. The impact throws Xathe away from Xetah and he smashes against the center window.

The glass must have been as hard as steel because the only thing Xathe's body did against it was crack it slightly…

Xathe struggles to pick himself up… grunting in pain as he does so. He's then forced into action once again, when he sees Xetah's axe spinning at him again. He leaps out of the way and the axe slams into the crack of the window, almost breaking the steel-hard glass. A crater is now formed in the window, with the axe at its center. The axe is jammed in the window… and Xetah's only weapon is now his spells.

Xathe rushes at the axe and grips the hilt of it, pulling with all of his might to budge it out of the cratered glass.

But Xathe's strength was just too depleted from the last resort that he performed against the Heartless and he failed at pulling it out. He leans against the giant weapon and struggles to breathe.

"Pathetic!" Xetah screams, rushing in and slamming Xathe's head against the already broken glass. A cry of pain escapes Xathe's blood-stained lips as he falls to his knees. "Worthless!" Xetah screams, pulling the axe out of the glass as if it was nothing to him. "Insect!" Xetah screams once again, kicking Xathe in the face.

Xetah's kick throws Xathe up and against the window. Xetah quickly leaps back several yards away. Xathe looks up… his eyes blood-shot and filled with pain. He knows it's the end… yet fear just won't come out. Even in death… Xathe would not let fear control him.

The air catches in Xathe's throat as he tries to inhale and he coughs profusely. Xetah simply laughs cruelly and draws back his axe.

"This is to the end… Number XV!" proclaims Xetah as he puts all of his power into chucking his axe directly into Xathe. The axe soars like a meteor when it travels into Xathe's chest and completely demolishes the window behind him.

Xathe is thrown out the window in slow motion along with the millions of pieces of shattered glass that fly with him. His eyes glimmer one last time with hope; before the fire in his heart burns out and dies along with him.

He flies off a couple dozen yards before dropping, due to gravity. Xathe's body disappears into the dark haze that surrounds the bottom of the Castle.

…

…

…

Xetah walks over to the destroyed window and picks up his axe from the floor. He sighs in relief that the fight is over. He may have had the obvious upper-hand, holding half of Xathe's and Tahe`'s strength in one, but Xathe still put up a fair fight.

Well… fair wasn't the right word. '**Okay**' might have been a better word… he wasn't bad… but no-where near the point of winning. Maybe Xetah was being a bit too cocky about it, but it didn't matter now, because he still won the battle.

"Now… Xathe will fade into me and then, together, we will become the ultimate Keyblade master! At last, Project XV has been accomplished. Now Project XVI can commence! Organization XIII has won… and Sora can do nothing about it!" Xetah laughs, as he walks away from the shattered window.

…

…

…

_**Day 331**_

…

Axel walks out into the grey room as he usually does… but he is put into a state of shock by what he sees. The window in the center of them all is shattered at the bottom half and the couches are pressed against the walls beside the hallway.

"What the hell happened in here?!" Axel shouts, rushing to the window and looking down at the dark haze below. He thinks hard on what could have possibly caused this. But none of it makes sense.

Demyx rushes in the room with his sitar out, "What's going on? Holy cow, what happened to the window?!"

Soon Roxas and Xigbar rush into the room as well.

"Axel, what happened in here?! Did a fight happen?" Roxas gasps.

Xigbar crosses his arms and growls in frustration, "Apparently, something went on while we were out on our missions…"

Axel suddenly remembers something. The other day… Xathe, Xetah, and Xemnas were the only ones who didn't have missions and were stuck at the Castle. Xemnas obviously had nothing to do with it.

Then there was the small rivalry between Xathe and Xetah. There was also the passionate hate that Xathe had for Xetah.

… and then there was Project XV…

"Oh my god… Xathe, no!" Axel screams out at the open, black sky. This just couldn't be happening… it wasn't possible!

Xetah and Xathe must have gotten in a brawl… with a bad outcome.

Now… Xathe is dead.

…

…

…

Xion walks across the beach of Destiny Island, trying to find answers of her own. She looks down at a star-shaped paopu fruit and she leans down to pick it up.

She brings it to her face so she can look closer at it when suddenly she hears a voice cry out behind her. The teen's voice startles her and she drops the fruit to the sand as she spins around to the source of the voice.

Nobody is there…

Xion scratches her head in confusion; "I could have sworn somebody was screaming…" she shrugs and then picks the paopu fruit up again.

The scream fills her ears again and she drops to her knees as a dark and cloudy scene comes into her vision. She was seeing sort of dream…

…

_A cloaked teen falls into a hazy sky and screams out for Xion._

_Xion calls out for him but it's as if he cannot hear her or see her. Suddenly she recognizes the teen… she couldn't forget that signature hair and blue eyes._

_"Xathe!" Xion calls out for him as his body goes limp and he disappears into the haze of Darkness. Xathe dies in her eyes as the vision ends and she opens her eyes to the island again._

…

She throws the paopu fruit as far as she can and then drops to her knees again, this time in sadness. Xathe saved her from Organization XIII's wrath… he was the first person to show any care for Xion's existence… and he was the only person that she cared deeply about, yet wasn't a true friend of hers.

This was too much. Xathe was gone… gone forever. Xion would never get the chance to apologize to him for hurting his feelings. She would never get the chance to tell him that she truly did care about him staying alive. She would never get the chance… to become his best and only friend.

Because… because now he is dead.

…

…

…

Xemnas stands at the top of the Castle That Never Was and waits patiently for the people he's expecting.

To Xemnas' satisfaction, Saix and Xetah walk out of a dark corridor behind him. "Xemnas…" Saix greets. Xetah simply nods in his greeting.

"Welcome, Saix. And Number XVI… or I guess you're Number XV now, aren't you?" Xemnas chuckles lowly.

Xetah smiles with much pride, "Of course, Superior. I carried out your orders… and with the lowest of difficulty might I add. Xathe has faded into me and now Project XVI can commence."

"Excellent. I am most pleased with this outcome. But all the same… I want this Project to remain a secret between us three. None will know about this until the climax of it… is that understood?" asks Xemnas.

"Yes," states Saix.

"But of course," Xetah answers quickly.

"Good. Now go about your day… but I want Xetah to remain here for a little bit longer…"

Saix nods and disappears in a pillar of darkness. Xetah takes a few steps towards Xemnas before stopping, "You are going to give me my next objective?"

"Yes. We have some loose ends to tie before Project XVI can continue… I want you to find and capture Number XIV. She has become an issue since she ran away. This is the reason I want her returned to the Castle. Understood?" explains Xemnas.

"Yes, sir."

"Then you are dismissed," Xemnas states.

Xetah quickly disappears in darkness. After this Xemnas smiles slowly as his plan pans out in his mind. Project XVI was most certainly going to be a success. There was not a doubt in Xemnas' mind that everything was going to come together perfectly.

"Kingdom Hearts… you and I will meet very soon, my friend."

…

…

**"End of the Line." Ha! See what I did there?**

**Bad timing? ...Sorry…**

**So… yeah… this Chapter was very dramatic and saddening. Did I shock you guys like I said I would? I hope so, because it makes me feel like I succeeded at something. XD But do not fret, for I will update again very quickly for you, my friends!**

**Oh, this story just keeps getting me more and more excited! Anyways, R&R and I will catch you later.**

**Peace out. -**_**The Key To Darkness**_


	15. Dry Tears

_Chapter XV: Dry Tears_

**This Chapter is dedicated to all my friends and all my reviewers. This is in honor of Xathe… considering it is his Number and all…**

**A little side-note, this Chapter will feature a lot from Xion's view on the situation. ****Sorry for all the surprises but… prepare to be shocked yet again! XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix or Disney. I only own the OC's such as Xathe and Xetah.**

**[Song Inspiration:**_** Pain **_**by **_**Three Days Grace**_**]**

**-**_**The Key To Darkness**_

…

…

_**Day 350**_

…

Xion walks through the town of Agrabah, a saddened look on her face. To make sure she isn't seen, she travels on the roof-tops of the city.

It all happened so fast… Xathe's death.

Sure, it was a while ago. You would think that she'd be fine by now. Well, she's not. Grief and regret can be a hard thing to get rid of. At least she knew that she'd be one with Sora soon. Xion wouldn't have to worry anymore. She wouldn't have to regret or feel pain.

She only wished that she could stay with her friends though. Axel and Roxas were so special to her, but she knew that she had to do this.

The day was fast approaching…

…

…

…

Xion turns her head at the sound of footsteps. She gasps when she sees a hooded man with the Organization cloak. He stops in his tracks when she sees him. Who was this guy?

"What do you want?" Xion asks, suspiciously.

The man simply stares at her, waiting for… something.

"Umm… hello?"

The mysterious man slowly chuckles. The chuckle is low and evil. Suddenly, she felt as if somebody was talking to her through her head.

'_Run… now!_' The teen's voice shouts.

Xion gasps and quickly spins around to run away. The voice was giving her wisdom… because from behind her, she could hear the man summoning his weapon and chasing after her.

She gasps for air as she sprints as fast she possibly can.

She comes to a quick halt, when the hooded man teleports in front of her with a smile glued to his revealed lips. That's all that could be seen. His lips. The corners of them were twisted in a sadistic and maniacal grin. Danger was written all over him.

Xion runs around him and sprints after the exit to the city. It's right there! Just inches away from her escape!

…

She opens her eyes to see the sky above her. What… just happened? Then she leans up on her elbows to see the mystery man with his weapon drawn out. She then remembered the horrible pain in her head. He must have stopped her from escaping…

Well… that left her with one last option: …fight.

Xion gets to her feet and summons her Keyblade with a growl. She was prepared this time… she wasn't backing down. Not this time!

The hooded man chuckles a bit before pulling off his hood to reveal his face. He had a face similar to Xathe's, but older-looking. His hair was spiky and silver. But his eyes were a deep, golden yellow. The kind of yellow that would make you think of something evil or terrifying. His overall appearance was very intimidating.

The thing that threw her off on his appearance was the glowing Heartless symbol on his neck. Why would he have a Heartless tattoo? I mean, of all things… a Heartless symbol?

"I'm doubting you, right now…" the man snickers.

"What? Doubting me?"

"Well… doubting your limits," he corrects himself.

This mad her mad, "What?! I have very high limitations, thank you!" She spits.

"Heh heh heh… what would Xathe say at a moment like this?" The man asks the air.

"X-Xathe?" Xion gasps. Her face still showing her hatred for the man.

"Oh… I think it was something like… '_You're just cute, when you're angry._' That was it, wasn't it?" He laughs. That was going too far! She didn't know how he remembers that moment between Xathe and Xion at Twilight Town… but he was mocking Xathe in copying it!

She snarls, "Who are you?!"

His sadistic grin gets a little wider, "I guess you could say that I'm Xathe now. But you can stick to calling me Xetah."

"Xetah?" She shakes her head and gets back into fighting position. "Enough! You've already gone too far!"

Xion charges Xetah, before striking him. The strike is countered by Xetah and then he palm-thrusts her in the gut and throws her far back into the dirt. She rolls with the crash and lands back on her feet again.

Xetah smiles at this, pulling his war-axe back and leaping high into the air, then falling towards Xion with his axe ready to strike. Xion leaps back at the last second and Xetah's war-axe crashes into the ground in a burst of dark-magic. He was good…

He looks up from the ground to her with his sadistic smile returning yet again. He pulls his axe from the dirt and stands up with straight posture. Xion takes advantage of his pause and rushes forward. She draws back her Keyblade and then swings it out for it to slam into Xetah's jaw with great strength. The impact throws Xetah into the ground behind him.

Xetah slowly gets to his knees and faces his head at the ground. His long silver bangs dangle towards the dirt.

Xion charges in again and thrusts her Keyblade in for a jab but then stops in front of him. "Why aren't you fighting back, anymore?" Xion gasps quickly.

A long silence lingers between them before he looks up to her face in pure enjoyment, "I don't believe you're going to kill me."

"Why not?" Xion asks, confused.

"Because I know how much you care for Xathe. I know you wouldn't throw your friendship with him away, just like that."

"What are you even talking about?!" She shouts.

"Use your head, idiot. Xathe is part of me now! I am Xathe and Xathe is me…" he explains.

"What… no…"

"It's the truth… we are two beings, destined to be together in order to exist. You see… I am a Heartless, reborn into my original human form. You could say… that I am a living heart. The heart of Tahe`…"

Xion listens in disbelief.

"Organization XIII killed Tahe` and then captured me. Over several years of genetic alteration… I gained my human form back. The Organization used my once animalistic instincts to turn me into the wonderful assassin I am today. I was partnered with Xathe for a couple months, so that I could use my natural abilities of life-absorption to suck the life and energy out of Xathe," Xetah goes on.

Xion's Keyblade drops to her side and she steps back as she tries to understand everything that happened with Xathe while she was gone.

"Progressively, Xathe became more tired and weak as the days went on. Every day that I was anywhere near him, more of his power would come to me. What power you see in me, is fifty percent Xathe, twenty-five percent Xemnas, and twenty-five percent Sora. Put the three together and you have an ultimate combination. Also known as… me."

This draws a scowl from Xion.

"Eventually, Xathe learned the sad truth that he was always expendable… the whole time. He longed to be important again. He wished to be part of something big, as he once was. He came to me… and he asked me to finish his absorption, so he could become one with me. Of course… I gladly did so… and now Xathe is happy where he belongs." He was twisting the truth now…

"Liar! Xathe would never want to share a body with another! He was always independent. He relied on his own strength and abilities… and you took those from him. I know the truth, Xetah. Xathe is dead… and **you **killed him!" Xion cries out, bringing her Keyblade back, preparing to decapitate Xetah.

Xetah thrusts his hand out much faster than Xion could slash. A wave of magic bursts from his palm and it blows her far away from him. The explosion of magic throws her into one of the many sandy walls.

He gets up with ease and approaches her. How was he this powerful?!

"The fact still remains that Xathe is part of me now. And we both know that you won't kill him…" he closes his eyes and focuses for a minute before speaking again, with a different voice. "… You wouldn't kill me, would you, Xion?" the voice is deep and almost monotone. She couldn't forget the unique teenage voice.

"Xathe…" she whispers sadly.

His voice returns to its normal, overly deep, angry tone. It was Xetah's voice of course. "It's like I said, Xion! Facts are facts after all."

Another silence lingers as Xetah brings his axe up and prepares to lunge at Xion. Suddenly a voice interrupts the lethal silence.

"She won't kill you, but I will!"

Xion and Xetah both turn to the source of the voice but then a flash of darkness separates them. The oval-shaped portal disappears and another man in an Organization coat appears. The hood of his coat is drawn over his head and he is facing Xetah.

"What the hell?! Who are you?!" Xetah spits, bringing his axe down into ready position.

"Somebody you wouldn't know."

Xion gasps, "Riku?"

"Forget it, then. I don't care who the hell you are! You're dead, either way!" Xetah snarls, before charging at the mysterious teen and swinging his axe as hard as he can at him. The teen reacts by countering the attack with a Barrier spell. The recoil throws Xetah back several yards.

He plants his feet in sand, but still slides with his landing.

"This way, Heartless!" The teen chuckles cart-wheeling to the exit and beckoning Xetah with his right index finger.

"Shut up, you fool!" Xetah shouts, chasing after the hooded teen. The teen quickly sprints away from him and towards a strange place that Xion never saw before.

Xion decides to chase after them, even though their speed was greater than her own. This teen had to be Riku!

But could Riku do it? Could he beat Xetah? She had faith in him and all… but Xetah was extremely powerful! Though, if Riku needed help in the fight, Xion would join in right away. All she knew was that she had to have faith in Riku.

…

…

…

Riku has them chase him to some sort of destroyed, ancient ruins. The ruins must have been a huge city like Agrabah at one time… but apparently it was buried in sand. She wasn't sure why Riku led them there, but she knew that head some sort of reason behind it.

He stops, followed by Xetah and then Xion. "Enough of this time-wasting charade!" Xetah shouts at him.

Riku stands silently in the center of all the buried buildings as a light gust of wind blows over the horizon.

Xetah approaches him and then stops about 15 feet away from Riku.

"Listen. I must know who you are. Are you Riku?" Xetah asks.

Riku looks down in silence. He's turned away from both Xion and Xetah.

"You are, aren't you?" Xetah laughs.

It gets dead silent for a moment before Riku turns around and grips both sides of his hood with both hands and slowly pulls his hood off of his head.

"Not even close!" The teen laughs.

Xetah and Xion both gasp in shock at whom they see before them. Xion reaches out for him, whispering his name in question. Xetah's eyes boggle in complete shock. "T-There's no way…"

Both Xion and Xetah say at the same time, "Xathe…"

The teen's midnight-black, spiky hair waves in the dusty wind. His all-too-familiar blue eyes gleam with that old fire burning inside of them once again. His pale skin glows in the desert's sunlight beaming down on the hot sand around them.

It was Xathe… there wasn't a doubt.

A tear slides down Xion's cheek in happiness while Xetah scowls in horror at the sight before him.

"What's wrong? You guys look like you've seen a ghost or something!" Xathe laughs.

"What?! No. I watched you die! How are you here?!" Xetah screams in disbelief.

Xathe crosses his arms and shakes his head in disappointment, "Come on, Xetah! When you absorbed my energy, did you happen to absorb any brain-power, whatsoever? You, of all people, should know of my ability to stand falls from great heights…" Xathe sighs.

"That's nothing! I hit you so hard, that all your ribs could have been shattered to pieces! They most likely were!"

Xathe closes his eyes in a moment of silence before answering with, "You're right." He opens his eyes with a sly smile.

"Stop talking in riddles! Start explaining now!"

Xathe chuckles in amusement, "But you did it to me all the time. And might I add, it's so much fun to screw with your head."

"Shut up and start talking!"

Xathe nearly bursts out laughing but stops himself by putting his hand over his mouth. "Sorry… but I can't shut up and talk at the same time."

It was obvious that Xathe was getting under Xetah **and** Xion's skin… but Xion couldn't stop smiling. She couldn't stay mad at Xathe… and how could you be mad at somebody that you thought was dead for twenty days, but then came back?

"Start. Talking." Xetah deadpans, becoming lethally serious.

"Sorry, Xetah… but I'm done talking. I think it's about time that somebody put you in your place…"

Xetah howls in laughter, "What could you possibly do to me?! You're just as weak as before, which means you can barely do shit to me!"

Xion looks between them in concern. Was this true?

A slow, devious smirk slips over Xathe's pale lips. He looks up at Xetah and gives him a look that makes Xetah question what he just proclaimed.

"I beg to differ…"

…

…

**End of Chapter 15. Shoo!**

… **Man it's getting dramatic! Hope you're enjoying it, anyways! I will try to post two more Chapters tomorrow… but no promises. If I don't… then it'll be just one. But! That would mean: two on Christmas Day! :D**

**So whatever happens… I'll update soon!**

**Seeya, guys. -**_**The Key To Darkness**_


	16. Rebirth

_Chapter XVI: Rebirth_

**I'm going to skip the introduction and get straight to the story. Thanks! I'll just say that this Chapter is a Flashback Chapter. Yes, I'm introducing that into the story for the first time.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with/or Kingdom Hearts itself.**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**Bring Me to Life **_**by **_**Evanescence**_**]**

**-**_**KtD**_

* * *

_**(Flashback)**_

_**Day ?**_

…

_**Xathe's P.O.V.**_

* * *

_Darkness surrounds me. It eats at my body and prepares to bring me back to it… to where I belong. Why? I'm fading away._

_The process is surprisingly slow… considering I see the dark haze, of The World That Never Was, still around me. I'm… falling?_

_Everything is so dark… and confusing. I don't even know if I'm fading. For all I know, I could be turning into some other abomination that shouldn't exist in this world. But at the same time… I don't feel any different._

_Does fading simply bring out your true colors? Does it bring out the person you really are? If so… then I guess confusion is my main personality trait. That's what it seems like, at least._

_'You haven't faded yet, Xathe. You still have a chance…'_

_I slowly open my eyes to the sound of the unknown voice. A girl's voice. Why… does it sound so familiar?_

_Suddenly my fall seems to go in slow motion. The haze around me becomes blurry and distorted. What's… happening to me?_

_My vision is blinded by a bright light, and the haze around me fades into darkness._

* * *

…

_I open my eyes again, hoping that everything has returned to normal. I was wrong. Nothing but darkness. Did I finally fade? Is my pain finally gone for good?_

_I look up to see a blonde girl with a sketchbook walking towards me. She has a short white dress that ends at about her mid-thigh and blue sandals. For some reason… every step that she took, she became more and more familiar._

_"Xathe… don't give in to the Darkness. You can still live. You have one last chance…" she pleads._

_"N-Namine`?" I gasp._

_She smiles lightly. It is her. Namine`…_

_"W-What do you want? I'm fading away and now you decide to contact me? If you've come to apologize… I don't know what to tell you," I lecture her._

_"No… Xathe, I've contacted you… to help you. You have another chance at living, but you didn't know it. That's why I'm reaching out to you."_

_I stare at her in disbelief, "How do I know if this is just another one of your lies or not?"_

_"I can promise you, that I'm not lying to you. And if you don't believe me… then turn around and see for yourself," she explains. Her voice is barely above a whisper, but in a quiet place like my heart? Everything is loud…_

_I turn around to see the raven-haired teen, Vanitas, standing behind me with his head facing the floor and his arms crossed._

_"He is your last hope, Xathe."_

_I turn my head to her, "How would you know? Not just about him being my last hope, but about him being inside of me in the first place?" I ask, suspiciously._

_A small chuckle comes from Vanitas and I turn back to him. "There is so much you don't understand…" he chuckles._

_"Then why don't you start explaining it to me?" I snarl._

_"When you began your new life in Castle Oblivion… you weren't the only one I was becoming acquainted with," Namine` explains._

_"So you're saying that, while we were becoming friends… you befriended Vanitas as well?" I ask, harshly._

_Vanitas uncrosses his arms and looks up, "Befriended is a little far. We became allies… is a better way of putting it. We talked… and I explained to her, my motives and reasoning behind living inside of you. All I wanted was to become whole again. I wanted to… become a full person."_

_"I understood what he was saying, and I believed him. He really wasn't in any position to be lying, considering I could have easily told you about him when you were early in development," Namine` goes on._

_Vanitas grumbles something, making it obvious that he's not one to have his weaknesses shown. It was almost surprising of how much Vanitas and I are alike. You would think that we… were the same… person._

_"Wait a second… so this whole time that I've been alive… Vanitas and I have been… merging?" I ask, struggling to take it all in._

_Namine` nods, happy that I'm starting to understand._

_"Our personalities have mixed together so that we share similar traits of the other. You woke up from your coma with little to no personality. Which is why you resemble a lot of my traits. But at the same time… we have our differences that separate us as individuals," Vanitas explains._

_I simply listen and try to understand what he's getting at._

_"But… that individualism is what is keeping us from becoming whole. We cannot become one, because we both have not allowed ourselves to accept each other's differences and fill in those gaps in our personalities. I have already accepted the binding that keeps us in the same body. I agreed to let myself become Xathe. That means there is only one last part to us becoming the same person-…"_

_"-I must accept you…" I finish for him. Vanitas nods in confirmation._

_I look down, deep in thought and concern over the situation. This was a big decision. I never would allow myself to join bodies with another person. That's not like me. I'm too independent…_

_Namine` becomes very concerned over my choice, "Xathe… please. I couldn't forgive myself if you died without knowing all your options."_

_I turn to her, "So… when you lied to me about my past and everything… it was all… for my own benefit? It wasn't just a command of the Organization?"_

_"Of course it was. I care about you Xathe… I always did. You were like a brother to me while you were asleep. I cared for you and tended do your needs. That never changed. I was lying… so that you wouldn't get hurt."_

_Suddenly, I felt an entirely new emotion building up inside my chest… guilt._

_"Namine`… I'm… I'm so sor-… I'm sor-…" Why can't I just say it?! Oh yeah… my pride._

_She smiles, "Xathe you don't have to-"_

_"I'm sorry, Namine`. I shouldn't have yelled at you and-… I should never have held such a grudge against you. My bitterness was wrong… and you didn't deserve it. I was too blinded by my anger to see the truth."_

_"Thank you, Xathe. That means a lot to me," she gleams._

_I turn to Vanitas and struggle to get my answer out in verbal sentences, "Vanitas I-…"_

_He looks up with a raised eyebrow._

_I let out a small chuckle, "I don't see any reason that I shouldn't accept you. After all… I'm not really in the position to deny you. If it means not fading… if it means I'll get to see Namine` in person again… if it means that I will get to have my rematch with Xetah…"_

_Namine` and Vanitas look to me with slight joy, waiting for me to say it fully._

_"I accept you…" I whisper._

_Suddenly… my chest and Vanitas' chests glow with a small white aura. Vanitas smirks with a short laugh behind it. I smile with confidence._

_"I'll see you soon, Xathe. Vanitas joining with you should bring back at least half of your strength… along with all of his. Together, you should be able to stop Xetah. I don't know for sure… but I only hope that when you defeat Xetah that all your strength will be returned to you," Namine` explains, waving a last goodbye to individual me._

_I chuckle, turning to Namine`. "This is going to be fun…"_

_Namine` smiles one last time before I turn to Vanitas again. My face becomes filled with seriousness before I slowly approach him. With every step I take, our chests glow brighter._

_"Vanitas…"_

_"Hm?"_

_"When we join hearts… will I still be me?" I come within feet of him and keep going._

_"Of course. We already look similar as it is. Our personalities are nearly identical as well… save a few differences. When we join… those differences will become the same. You might be a little different… but otherwise… yeah."_

_My steps slow as I come only inches away from him, "Alright… thanks."_

_He smirks before our chests shine too bright for us to see one another. I feel my foot touch the tip of his foot and our lights combine into one star-like glow._

_We join in a sphere of light that bursts in a gigantic wave that fills the depths of my heart around us._

* * *

…

_I open my eyes to see the dark haze around me once again. This time it seems more visible and soon it ends. I spin around to look down at where I'm falling to. My memory comes back and I remember that I'm falling to the streets of The World That Never Was._

_"Crap!" I shout, thrusting my hand out at the streets below. The gravel comes at me fast. Right on time… a dark corridor opens in the center of the street._

_I glide right into the portal and it closes behind me. I zip through and open my eyes to the blinding light of the sun at the other end of the portal._

_Before I know it, I see the sands of Agrabah all around me. The blue sky covers over the desert, cloudless. Wait… I'm still flying!_

_I fall with gravity and my body meets the hot sand in a crash-landing._

_"Damn… it… "I grumble, making it to my feet and spitting sand out of my mouth. Jeez, that stuff is nasty!_

_I become instantly serious as my goal comes into view in my mind. I was two people, joined as one now. I was relying fully on Vanitas' power to accomplish my mission. I mean… save the small amount of power that I still possess of my own._

_This was my moment of truth. I speak in a voice that is a little deeper than my own, "Let's teach this bitch a lesson…"_

_This is the moment that I've been waiting for my entire existence. I never knew that this was it. That this was my destiny. My destiny became revealed in my moment of rebirth._

* * *

**Ta-da! There's a flashback of what happened in between Chapters 14 and 15. Hope you enjoyed it.**

**If something didn't make sense or there is something you're wondering about, just let me know in a review. Or if you have any questions on the story or characters, let me know about that, too.**

**Thanks again, guys! I'll be posting Two Chapters tomorrow as a Christmas present! :D**

**-**_**KtD**_


	17. Dying Fantasy

_Chapter XVII: Dying Fantasy_

**Woo! The Chapter you've all been waiting for is here! The epic fight between the valiant Xathe and the sadistic Xetah!**

**It's time for the conclusion to this amazing rivalry! Whoever wins this fight will decide the fate of The Path of Broken Dreams!**

**It's Heartless versus Nobody… and only one can win!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**I Will Not Bow **_**by **_**Breaking Benjamin**_**]**

_**Suggestion!: Listen to some type of music while reading this Chapter! It fits with the wording and the action better. -KtD**_

* * *

_**Day 350**_

…

Xathe smiles confidently at Xetah, who stands in shock and confusion. It isn't too long before Xetah breaks into a small fit of evil laughter.

"You know what? You don't have to tell me how you're alive again… 'cuz I'll kick your ass back to hell every time," Xetah proclaims.

Xathe gets a deadly serious look on his face, "Try me, bitch!"

The blue sky slowly becomes clouded over with gray storm clouds. Lightning rains across the desert sands, adding more drama to the already intense fight. Xetah summons forth his war-axe in a flurry of sparks. A magic aurora surrounds him in a coat of red and purple.

"**That** thing again? Jeez I would have thought that you'd have a better weapon right now…"

"Oh? And you think you can do better than my ultimate weapon?" Xetah spits.

"In fact… I do." Xetah glares at him in challenge as Xathe crosses his forearms across his chest.

Xathe's fists go over the traps between his shoulders and neck. In a flash, a Keyblade flashes from each hand and crosses behind his head. He gets a straining look in his face as his face becomes shadowed and darkened.

"Two?" Xetah chuckles.

The Void Gear is grasped in his left hand, while his strongest weapon, Fallen Angel is grasped in his right. Two powerful Keyblades once used by two amazing Keyblade warriors… in the hands of this Nobody.

"You're so pathetic! This little light show wouldn't scare Demyx," Xetah snickers.

Xathe ignores him as his face becomes filled with strain and his pupils dilate from the change he has put off for so long. A blaze of yellow lights up from the circumference of his pupils and spreads out to the edge of his irises. Soon, his eyes have gone from blue to that dangerous amber.

'_So he let the Darkness take him, after all? This'll be exciting!_' Xetah laughs inwardly.

A different voice comes from Xathe's lips, "Let's see what you're made of…" The voice is slightly deeper with a hint of monotone in it. It would appear to be the voice of Vanitas.

Xetah and Xathe rush at each other before Xathe leaps high into the air above Xetah and disappears. Xetah foolishly looks up and Xathe transmits right in front of him, before cross-slashing him with both Keyblades.

The attack throws Xetah several yards back with a grunt escaping his throat. Xetah leaps up and brings his axe to the ground where Xathe stands. But Xathe quickly counters with Fallen Angel, before spinning around and striking Xetah to the ground again with Void Gear.

Xetah growls with frustration while making it back to his feet again. He looks up to see Xathe getting inches away from him and slamming his boot in Xetah's face.

A loud, painful yelp is heard before Xetah crashes into the ground behind him, "Agh! Son of a… bitch!"

"Please…" Xathe scoffs with Vanitas' voice. The voice suits him, actually. He approaches Xetah, slowly and dramatically, to induce fear inside of him. Xetah stands and shows much courage, denying any feeling of fear. He stands his ground in a glaring contest with the steadily approaching Xathe.

Yellow meets darker yellow in a battle of daggers. But soon, Xathe gets the best of Xetah and he takes a step back from Xathe. His look of seriousness is starting to intimidate Xetah. "No… I will not be beaten!"

Xathe looks at him in surprise when Xetah slowly rises into the air and sparks surround him. Angel wings, made of floating magic swords form from his shoulder blades, down his arms, and ends at his wrists. The blade wings spread out when he crosses his arms and smiles.

"This is my true power, Xathe. Can you feel fear?" Xetah laughs with a metal echo in his voice.

"I'm a Nobody… I don't feel fear…" Xathe sighs.

Xetah glides at Xathe, swinging his right arm in his direction. One of the many blades fires out at Xathe but is easily deflected, due to Xetah's lack of speed.

Xathe gets in fighting position as Xetah comes yards away from him and closes in fast. "You're mine!" Xetah bellows.

He fires all his blades out at Xathe as he flies over his head and into the air. The missiles appear, to Xathe, to be coming at him in slow motion as he steadily slides past each one before back-flipping onto the final one. He directs the flying blade in Xetah's direction.

"What-?!" Xathe crashes into Xetah with the blade, grabbing onto Xetah's silver hair and yanking his head backwards while cart-wheeling over him and onto his back. He presses his feet to Xetah's spine, making Xetah lose control over his flight and start plummeting to the earth.

Xathe kicks off at the last second and Xetah crash lands into the hot sand below. But Xathe lands gracefully on one of the ruin buildings and stands straight.

Xetah steadily gets to his feet before spinning around to glare at Xathe. He knew Xathe was fast… but he could be faster!

He rushes at Xathe before disappearing and then reappearing high in the air with his blade wings returning to him. Xetah flies down at Xathe, to Xathe's surprise and tackles him straight through the concrete ceiling of the ruined building.

* * *

Xathe opens his eyes with blurry vision to make out the scene before him. He's in a dark, ancient home… with a hole in the ceiling to reveal sunlight into the hot room.

"Damn…" Xathe whispers to himself as he gets to his feet again. He doesn't make it very far before Xetah drops from the ceiling and grabs Xathe by his waist, lifting him over his head and then body slamming him to the floor.

Xetah jumps on top of Xathe and laughs. Several punches land in Xathe's face with grunts behind them. Xathe throws his palm out into Xetah's gut and blasts him through the ceiling with a dark pulse.

"Chew on that for a little bit…" Xathe spits, kicking up onto his feet and leaping through the first hole in the ceiling. The instant brightness of the sun blinds him. The sun had to choose now to show through the clouds?!

He looks around him with Xetah nowhere to be found. "Where is he…?"

A sharp whistle is heard from the sky, catching Xathe's attention. He looks up to the sky and sees a shadowy object descending from the clouds above. It's Xetah.

"Well done, Xathe. You've proven to me that I have at last found my match. Congratulations."

'_What? What is he talking about? He never admits to failure. He has to be hiding something…_' Xathe contemplates.

"But I'm afraid that… we've only just begun…" Xetah aims one hand at Xathe and pools of Darkness suddenly surround him. The pools of Darkness appear everywhere and he pulls his Keyblades into position.

Heartless start to form from the pools.

_Xathe was prepared, though. These Heartless would not be the death of him. He'd fight until the end, and this was no surprise to him._

More and more Heartless swarm around him.

_This was nothing. He walked through death's door and came back, alive. This seemed like dust in the wind to him..._

The pools all turn into another wave of Heartless and now a whole legion of Heartless surround him. It's time…

Heartless leap from the crowd of Darkness at him. He instantly reacts, jumping into the air and slashing through each and every Heartless that dared to come into the air. His slashes become faster and more violent, the more that leaped up at him.

But more and more came to meet him high in the air. Droplets of Darkness rain everywhere across the hot sands. Soon the clouds cover up the sky again as Xathe's attacks become a blur of pure speed and agility.

Xathe flings Void Gear down at the still growing crowd of Heartless and the Keyblade spins rapidly through them all, destroying them one by one while he uses Fallen Angel to hack the airborne ones around him.

This was becoming ridiculous! How many Heartless could Xetah summon, before he ran out of them?!

Xetah flies down like a comet towards Xathe. He caught Xetah in the corner of his eye at the last second and back flips over him. The cost was letting the Heartless get the upper hand over him.

He falls to the ground and the Heartless surround him in a massive wave. "I won't let you win!" Xathe proclaims. To Xathe's relief, Xion leaps in to help him.

He turns to her and she nods. They would fight these things off together.

Xion rushes at one side while Xathe attacks the other. Their Keyblades drive through the dark creatures again and again. Xetah watches with amusement as his army of Heartless slowly force Xion and Xathe to be pushed back-to-back again.

Xathe spins around at the feeling of something being pushed into his back. He calms when he sees its Xion.

"I don't think we can handle this much longer!" Xion shouts.

"Me neither… but I have a plan…"

Xion turns to him and raises an eyebrow in question. He simply turns to her and smirks. She then understands what he's referring to and nods. Her face turns deadly serious, as does Xathe's.

Xathe summons a spell that surrounds him and Xion in a ring of purple fire. Xion pulls her Keyblade into position. "Wait," Xathe stops her. She looks to him.

He holds out Fallen Angel to her, "Take it. She's not hard to wield, and with all of those Heartless… you're going to need it…"

She looks down at the shining blade. It's broad and straight. The colors mix between black, white, and purple. The end of the blade is pointed, but the edge of it is similar to one side of Axel's chakram, which is what gives it the Key-like look. The guards around the hilt are indigo angel wings. Xion slowly grasps it with her left hand and takes it from him.

He smirks and she nods to him before he leaps into the air. She turns to the wall of fire and waits for the Heartless. Xathe rises into the air and glows as he concentrates on his spell.

Xion had to protect Xathe while he meditated. She only hoped that he wouldn't take too long…

* * *

Several Heartless tried charging the fire, but they faded as soon as they entered into it. The rest were looking for ways to get in. It seems like this would be easier than they both thought.

Suddenly, Neoshadows begin leaping over the ring of magic fire and land inside.

…Spoke to soon…

Xathe pulls Void Gear up and spins it around in his grip before performing a series of slow movements. "Come on, Xathe…" Xion whispers.

The Neoshadows attack. Xion is forced into action and she struggles to synchronize the two Keyblades at the same time. Xathe opens his eyes to see Xion using one Keyblade to attack while she uses the other to block the oncoming onslaught. "Well… that's one way to do it…" Xathe shrugs. He continues to concentrate on his spell.

Xion hears the Neoshadows jumping over the wall of fire behind Xathe and she rushes around Xathe to the Heartless creatures. She hacks through them before they can attack Xathe, she then sighs in relief that the attacks are easing up a bit.

Xathe grunts as a sphere of light surrounds him and glows an indigo color. "Xion! I can't keep the fire up any longer!" he shouts.

She looks at him in shock. To her dismay… the ring of fire dissipates into nothing. As if they were waiting for it, the Heartless charge in.

"Now! Give me Fallen Angel!" He demands hastily.

Everything goes in slow motion as she throws Xathe's Keyblade to him. The blade lands in his right hand just as the Heartless come within feet of devouring them both.

Xathe drops from the air and shoves both Keyblades into the dirt. Instantly Xathe's sphere of light shatters to pieces in an eruption of dark energy. All of the Heartless stop in mid-flight and implode into the Darkness from wince they came.

The mists from their fading spread into the air around Xathe and Xion. "What?!" Xetah spits.

Xathe chuckles lightly before dropping onto one knee. "Xathe?" Xion gasps, rushing to his side. He stops her from helping him and gets up on his own.

Xetah howls in laughter, "You're too weak to go on, now! You should have saved that for the coup de`grace. But now…" he pauses. Xathe and Xion look around them to see more Heartless beginning to surround them. "…you're finished."

"Xion… in order to stop the Heartless, we have to kill them at the source. I'll take on Xetah. I need you to keep the Heartless occupied while I do so, understand?!" Xathe demands.

Xion nods, "Right."

Xathe turns to Xetah and leaps up onto one of the ruined buildings and runs across its flat roof. "Not a bad plan, Xathe…" Xetah adds. Xathe kicks off the edge of that building and jumps onto a much taller one. He climbs up the side of the building and runs across it as well. "It's a shame that the plan will be your downfall."

Xathe jumps to the highest building in the ruins and runs up the side of it before front-flipping into the air and catching the steeple that points off of it. It might have been a church of some sort at the time. He spins around on it before stopping and glaring up at Xetah.

Xion couldn't keep fighting them off forever. But with Xetah having to make sure that the Heartless kept coming **and** deal with Xathe… this should be an easy win.

"Let's start over, shall we?" Xetah smiles deviously.

Xathe growls, jumping high in the air and meeting Xetah with several slashes that Xetah strikes back against. Xetah does a power-strike and blows Xathe against the tall building he just leapt from.

He looks up to see Xetah's blade wings spreading out in front of Xetah at his command. Xetah grabs one of the middle wings and aims it at Xathe. Xathe realizes what's coming next and he breaks away from the crater that his body formed against the wall.

As he expected, Xetah uses the blade to fire a dark energy beam that destroys the entire upper half of the building. Xathe lands on one of the other buildings and waits for Xetah's next move. Xetah growls in frustration, aiming every one of the blades in Xathe's direction. He throws his hand to his side and the blades disappear at once.

"What was that supposed to-…" Xathe looks around him to see the blades spiraling around him in slow motion. "Damn it…"

All the blades fly in at him, hacking and slashing in his direction. Xathe counters every one of them as fast as he can. The blades fly everywhere in an attempt to find a weak point on Xathe that they can hit… but Xathe shows no weak point.

He counters the blades several more times before they disappear again mysteriously. Xathe looks around to find nothing strange.

But then he looks up just in time to see Xetah crashing into Xathe with his huge war axe and flinging Xathe high into the air. Xathe goes with the throw and back-flips in the air before gliding down towards Xetah who stands in the spot where Xathe was standing.

Xetah brings his axe down right in front of him, but Xathe goes from gliding to sliding and he slides right between Xetah's legs before the axe can hit him.

Xathe stops sliding and barrel rolls towards the edge of the tall building. Right as he trips over the edge, he spins around and tosses the Keyblade in a spiraling motion at Xetah.

Xetah attempts to pull his axe out of the ground, when a Keyblade shoots between his legs and slams into his face. The impact knocks Xetah unconscious instantly.

Before Xetah falls back, Xathe shoots up the side of the building and grabs the back of Xetah's head. Everything goes in slow motion once again as Xathe pulls Xetah's head forward and then kneels down quickly, bringing Xetah's head with him. Xathe slams Xetah's face into the head of his own axe which is still stuck into the ground.

Darkness sprays from Xetah's head into Xathe's face.

It gets dead silent as Xathe backs away from the grounded Xetah…

"I-Is he dead…" Xathe asks, hopefully. Suddenly the metal wings on Xetah's back rise up into the air and spread out in a dangerous formation.

The wings float into the air until they suddenly explode in a cloud of sparks. Xathe sighs in relief. He then hears Xetah grunting and gasping. Xetah screams in agony as he rolls away from his axe and grabs his face.

Xathe gasps for air, "You're… done…"

Xetah's war-axe fades into the air and Xetah slowly gets to his feet once again, "I never lose… never!"

Xetah rushes at Xathe and flings his fist at him. Xathe quickly counters his punch and thrusts his Keyblade into Xetah's chest. As soon as the tip of it meets Xetah, he is blasted off the building by a surge of Darkness.

The silence returns again… to Xathe's relief.

It was finally over. Xathe and Vanitas had won… at last.

* * *

Xathe turns to look for Xion but doesn't see anyone in sight. "Where'd she go?"

He jumps down from the tall building and hits the dirt semi-gracefully. She had to be somewhere around this blasted desert. But where? He walks to the center of the ruins and calls out her name, "Xion! Xion!"

…

He hears footsteps behind him, "Xion?"

Xathe turns around to see the enraged face of Xetah only a few yards away from him. "Still not giving up…?" Xathe sighs.

"I'm still plenty alive, you son of a bitch," Xetah snarls. "And as for your little lady friend… I'm sure she's moved past you, by now…"

Xathe suddenly remembers that Xion was on the run from the Organization and Xathe was still a member of them. Which means… which means that…

Xion ran away from him.

He stomps in the sand in hatred. How could she do this to him?! One minute she's helping, the next she's terrified again! Mood swings was an understatement for this kind of thing. This was full-on bipolar!

"It's okay… because I can end that pain, if you wish?" Xetah offers with a fake, disgustingly kind voice.

Xathe looks up at him again in confusion, "My pain?"

"You wish that she would love you… and she doesn't. I can end that pain. In fact… if you wish it… I could hunt her down and kill her, before I kill you."

Xathe clenches Fallen Angel tightly, "Psh! Like I need love to go on. You're one sick bastard to think that-"

"-That you could possibly love?" Xetah finishes with a sly grin.

Xathe glares at him. He didn't like people finishing his sentences, let alone, knowing what he was going to say. It was irritating… especially in an argument like this one.

"It's okay, Xathe. You're new to dealing with this sort of thing because… you just got a heart…" he slowly walks towards Xathe. "… you're struggling to understand all the emotions that are going through you. But what you need to get straight in your head is…" he stops fully. "… she doesn't have a heart like you do."

Xathe's eyes become filled of rage. "Shut up..."

"It's all okay, Xathe! You'll understand soon enough! Well… I guess that would be wrong wouldn't it? Considering… you'll be dead…"

It gets silent once again… when suddenly Xathe's Keyblades disappear in two flashes.

…

"I said, shut the hell up!" Xathe screams, forming a powerful Darkness spell in his right hand while charging at Xetah to finish him off once and for all.

"Now… we're getting somewhere!" Xetah laughs, forming a Darkness spell in his left hand and charging at Xathe as well.

They slowly approach each other before thrusting their hands in at the other. Their hands meet, causing their spells to collide and mix together. Xathe growls in pure anger while Xetah grunts with frustration. Suddenly… they lose control over the now bonded spell.

The spell grows between them and then projects a gigantic sound wave that throws Xathe and Xetah far away from it.

Xathe flies away from it, being forced to roll over and over again before he finally catches himself by grabbing onto a rock that sticks out of the ground. The sound waves stop and Xathe makes it to his feet.

He looks up and the ball of Darkness hasn't disappeared yet. Xetah rushes past it and runs in the direction that Xathe is in. He raises an eyebrow at Xetah but then turns around to see the exit of the ruins behind him. Xetah's trying to escape… and he's making haste with it.

"Leaving so soon?!" Xathe shouts at him. Xetah continues to run, despite Xathe's taunt.

"The spell! It's going to blow! We need to get the hell outta here!" Xetah shouts back.

'_No you don't…_' Xathe snarls inwardly. He runs at Xetah as Xetah runs towards him.

Xathe tackles Xetah and takes him to the ground. He pins his shoulders down. Xetah spits in his eye, making Xathe release the pin and Xetah takes advantage of his weakness. He pushes Xathe off of him and then pins him to the ground.

"Why won't you just die?!" Xathe screams in Xetah's face as the ball of Darkness grows larger and larger behind Xetah.

"It's so obvious! Why won't you just accept your destiny and fade into me?! We were meant to be together forever, Xathe! This was the way it was meant to be! Together… we could rule the world!" Xetah shouts at him.

"No, Xetah!"

Xetah stares into his face with disbelief.

"It was only **your** destiny to fade! You're the one who is going to die! Not me!" Xathe snarls. He slowly bends his leg underneath Xetah.

The ball of Darkness grows to a massive size and begins sucking pieces of the ruined buildings into it. It's growing its own gravitational pull…

"You're fading, one way or another, Xathe. There were never any other paths that we could walk on. You can't stop destiny!" Xetah feels Xathe's leg moving underneath him.

Xathe brings his face to Xetah's so that their noses are centimeters from each other, "Burn in hell, you bastard…" Xathe swings his knee into Xetah's groin. He screams in pain and releases his pin on Xathe.

He takes immediate advantage and shoves his foot into Xetah's chest. The hard kick throws Xetah in the air and into the gravitational pull of the sphere of Darkness. Xathe leans up on his elbows and watches as Xetah screams in fear of his destruction.

Xetah crashes into the Darkness and is immediately absorbed into its massive strength. Xathe looks at Xetah one last time as the darkness, which replaces the blood in his veins, surges out of his body and he dissipates into nothingness. He was dead… finally dead.

Suddenly, Xathe feels himself being slowly dragged through the sand. "Why am I-…?"

The sphere of Darkness…

Xathe shoots up to his feet and fights as hard as he can to run away from the gravity that threatens to suck him into its unfathomable power.

But soon… he loses the battle.

Xathe screams out as the gravity pulls him into the Darkness, just as Xetah did.

He simply closes his eyes in defeat… and waits for his doom. There was so many questions that he had… that would be left unanswered. He'd never know them… but at least… at least it was all over now.

* * *

Xathe opens his eyes, afraid to see the Darkness that he has faded into. He knew it wouldn't be pretty. Darkness almost never was, in reality…

'_Why is the Darkness so… bright?_' Xathe thinks. '_Wait… that's not… the Darkness?_'

…

He opens his eyes fully, at the feeling of a hand gripping his own. He didn't fade! He was still in the same position he was before!

"X-Xion?!" Xathe gasps at the sight of who caught him.

"Hurry… Xathe… can't… hold on… much longer!" She growls. Xathe fights the heavy pull of the Darkness and with Xion's help, meets the ground again.

They waste no time in running from the powerful giant.

A low and long whistle catches Xathe's attention and Xathe turns to look at the Darkness again. It wasn't pulling anymore… and it was… glowing…

"Shit…" Xathe gasps. "Xion!"

"Xathe the exit is right up this cliff!" She shouts to him. She's caught off guard by him rushing at her as fast as he can.

"Get down! The Darkness is going to blow!"

Xion gasps in shock. She looks up at the giant sphere, which is now shining with pure magic energy. Before she even realizes it, Xathe embraces her and pushes her to the ground. He covers her whole body with his own as the sky is covered with rays of Darkness.

Then… it erupts.

* * *

…

The Darkness was gone… it was all gone.

They were safe at last… but because of whom?

…Because of Xathe.

…

Xathe slowly opens his eyes to a bright, white room. The room was… nice. It gave a serene and peaceful feeling to Xathe's mentality.

Voices start to enter Xathe's ears and replace the prolonged ringing that he has heard for what felt like an eternity. The voices are quiet at first… but then they start becoming louder, little by little.

"… will he be alright? I mean… his memories will stay intact and everything?" a female voice asks, worryingly.

"Of course. He'll be fine. The overload of Darkness must have knocked him out of his senses. He just needs to rest, is all," another female voice responds, soothingly.

It gets silent for a moment.

"Are you sure we can trust him? I mean… he's still with the Organization, after all…" a deep male voice asks, suspiciously.

"Xathe? Of course we can trust him! Don't be so dramatic. Xathe wouldn't betray the people who truly care about him. He especially wouldn't betray me. I know that, now," the first female voice explains. Why is it so familiar?

"I think his new-born heart is getting the best of him, Namine`. He feels too much towards her. If his heart is broken this early in his development… the results won't be good for us…" the deep male voice sighs.

"You're thinking too much, DiZ. You need to remember that we're on **her** side. He's on her side as well. That means that we have no doing in any of this. This is all from Xion's decision…" the second female answers.

A short silence, "I fear grave danger for you, in the end of all of this, Namine`…" the male must have walked away, because footsteps could be heard fading out of the room.

Xathe closes his blurry eyes again.

* * *

"Do you feel the same towards him?" the second female is heard again. Xathe wasn't sure how much time passed since the last conversation… but he guessed a fair amount went by. The second female… seemed to be… Namine`?

"I… I don't know. I'm not supposed to. And I can't anyways. We're just friends…" the first female answers with a sigh.

The first female must be Xion. But wait… so Xetah was right all along about her? That figures...

She lied to him… no… he only lied to himself.

…

Xathe growls furiously, sitting up from his sleep. His eyes are still blurry from sleep but he felt perfectly functional… until he got to the floor.

"It's okay… sometimes things are never-" Namine` is interrupted by Xion.

"Xathe? What are you doing up?!" Xion gasps. Xathe can't see anything within ten feet away from him but he took a pretty good guess and pointed in the place he suspected.

"You… don't even talk to me… I heard what you were saying about me…" Xathe slurs. He slowly drags himself towards the nearest door and slams it behind him.

His vision starts to return as he forms a dark corridor in front of him. He didn't give it an exact place to take him. He simply commanded it to take him to a place that would make him happy. He walks through it and disappears.

…

Xion and Namine` rush out of the room that all three of them were in. Namine` smiles at the dark corridor that still stands there, "He was too drowsy to remember to close it behind him…"

Xion looks down, regretting that she had the conversation with Namine` in the first place. She needed to find Xathe and apologize… where ever he went. "I'll find him. Don't worry…" Xion exclaims, rushing through it after him.

Riku comes up behind Namine`."I'll follow her. She may need my assistance. Knowing Xathe… he might attack her…"

Namine` turns to him and nods before he walks into it after Xion. Namine` sighs in distress as she walks back into her room. This was becoming ridiculous…

* * *

**End! Enjoyed it you did, hm? (Yoda moment! :D)**

**Anyways, read and review! Merry Christmas, everyone! Seeya.**

**-**_**KtD**_


	18. Silent Night

_Chapter XVIII: Silent Night_

**You guys thought I'd forget about Christmas, didn't you? ;)**

**Well, no would be the answer! This is mainly filler… but still, it fits into the storyline and continues from last Chapter so just go with it.**

**-**_**The Key To Darkness**_

…

…

_**Day 351**_

…

Xathe steps out of his dark corridor into a night-covered town with lots of colorful lights decorating the houses that lined down the street.

"W-where did it take me?" Xathe looks down at his clothing and is shocked to see that his apparel has changed slightly. His leather Organization cloak now has buttons instead of a zipper, and white fur covers the lining of the jacket and around the rim of the hood. His sleeves are now tucked into his gloves and the gloves have the white fur around the opening. The boots come up to his shins instead of his knees and have the white fur around the opening as well.

Xathe puts a hand on top of his head and feels a fuzzy hat with the white fur at the opening. The hat points out and then dangles behind his head with a white furry ball at the tip of it. "I don't remember putting a hat on when I came here."

The white fur was annoying to look at for Xathe… but least everything else was still black…

A voice shouts from the dark corridor, "Xathe! Wait!" and instantly, Xion charges out and runs straight into Xathe's brick-wall of a back. "Oof!"

Xathe is pulled out of his thoughts by the girl hitting the ground behind him. "Xion?" he asks. He holds a hand out for her.

She chuckles, embarrassed. "T-Thanks…" she takes Xathe's hand and he pulls her onto her feet.

"Where am I, Xion?" he asks confused.

"I don't know… I just got here. Let me see," she answers. She looks around for a minute before turning back to Xathe and shrugging.

"You opened a portal… to Christmas Town?" A voice asks, disbelievingly behind Xion. The voice is almost monotone but still has expression in it.

"Riku?" Xion gasps.

"Riku…" Xathe snarls.

Riku scowls at the sight of Xathe and Xion suddenly remembers the fight they had a long time ago.

"Xathe, don't!" Xion shouts, jumping in front of Xathe and holding him back.

"Let me at him, Xion! I can take him, this time!" Xathe shouts furiously.

Riku shakes his head in disappointment, "You let your anger control you far too easily. Stop being so weak…"

Xathe stops fighting and Xion winces from the comment. She slowly looks up at Xathe's face to see a stunned expression. His eye twitches slowly.

"Xathe… don't… do it…" Xion soothes him.

Xathe's expression turns into the deepest scowl that Xion had ever seen and he tries to charge at him again.

Xion does the last thing she can think of and simply embraces Xathe in a hug. "Xion! What are you-? Why are you-? What are we-…" he gives up and falls into the hug in defeat. She holds him for a minute, before trusting him enough to let him go.

"Sorry, Xion…" Xathe grumbles. He looks up to Riku who has a raised eyebrow. "I still hate you, though…" Xathe murmurs.

Xion sighs in distress. "Anyways, what'd you say this place was, Riku?" asks Xion.

"It's Christmas Town…" he pauses."Why would you come here, of all places, Xathe? I always thought of you as more of a Halloween Town type of person… or hell. Maybe both…"

"I think that rag on your face is making you blind," Xathe growls.

"You would know what it feels like to be blinded. Don't even bother telling me about blindness."

"Are you asking for a fight?" Xathe chuckles.

"I'm not going to waste my time with fighting you."

Xathe crosses his arms, "Well, I guess your prissy hair **does** symbolize something…"

"Jealous?" Riku taunts with a smirk.

"No. At least I look like a guy. In fact, if you didn't have rag on your face, you'd be able to see how awesome my hair really looks," Xathe counters.

Riku scowls, "Xion, let's just go. He's not worth all this trouble. All he's going to do is argue with us."

Xion rolls her eyes at both of them, "Xathe, at least come back with us so we can explain everything to you…"

Xathe looks down, deep in thought. '_Let's see… go with a bunch of liars or go out on my own… with the only person I trust: myself?_'

Riku turns towards the dark corridor, taking Xathe's silence as a 'Yes.'

"Good, then it's decided," Riku exclaims, walking through the dark corridor that he just came from. Xion smiles and turns to walk through it as well.

"Fine. Go then…" Xathe spits. He turns around and starts walking down the snowy street of Christmas Town. "'Cuz I'm not…"

Xion barely hears Xathe before she walks in and she stops. She turns around to see Xathe walking away and she bites her lip. What should she do? Follow Riku or try to apologize to Xathe for what she said earlier?

"Darn…" she sighs.

…

Xathe looks up at a big, ware-house type of building. It has a sign posted over the door that reads, "_Santa Claus' House_."

He sighs, wondering if he should go in to see what's inside the colorful home. Suddenly a voice knocks him out of his thoughts once again. "Xathe, wait up!"

Xathe turns around to see Xion rushing after him. "What is she doing?" he whispers angrily.

She stops in front of him and takes a deep breath from her frantic running, "What are you… up to?" She catches her breath again and he chuckles.

His face becomes a cold expression again, "What do you want?"

"Did you really think that I was just going to let you wander off, like that?" Xion scoffs.

"Actually, I did."

She crosses her arms and glares, "Well, you were wrong. Where are you even going to go, anyways? You just going to wander Christmas Town for the rest of your life?"

He turns his head to the ground, "I don't even know."

"Then let me help you know. Stop trying to run away. Sora could use your help."

"Nobody needs me. Stop trying to lie, because I can read them quite well now. Listen… if you're just going to keep lying to me, then I'm kindly asking you to get the hell away from me!" he spits. Xathe walks away from her and the colorful warehouse.

"Xathe… wait! I have to know something!" Xion shouts.

He exasperates before turning his head to her, "What?" he asks.

"What did you feel towards me? I know you felt something… what was it? I just… want to know," she explains.

He turns his head to the ground, "You were… at a time… my only true friend. I thought that you actually cared about me for a little while. I must admit… you put up a pretty good act. For a while there, you had me convinced that we were best friends…"

"We still are-"

"Shut up! I'm tired of your lies. Stop trying to sugar coat everything and face the facts. You've always hated me. But you know what? I'm fine with that! Because my personality is just too hardcore for anybody to deal with. Even you are afraid of me."

Xion shakes her head in denial, "That's not true, Xathe. Stop putting yourself down, like that. It's not helping anything and it's only going to hurt your newborn heart…"

He turns all the way around to face her, "My newborn heart? What are you talking about?"

Xion steps back in surprise, "Didn't you know of your new heart?"

He simply gawks at her and says, "I never got a new heart… can Nobodies even do that?"

"What?! You're saying that you don't have a heart, still?" She gasps.

He chuckles shortly, "I sort of do. It's not my heart though. It's the heart of Vanitas. His feelings can be shown through me, though. We sort of have a little agreement. I provide the body and mentality while he provides the heart and emotions…"

She stares at him in shock, "…What?"

Xathe's eye twitches, "Never mind. I forgot that you didn't know about that. It doesn't concern you… so don't even ask. Believe me when I say, you **do not** want to know…"

"Okay… but what are you going to do now, though? Are you going to come back with me? Namine`… really wants to see you, again."

Xathe looks down. What **was** he going to do? He did want to see Namine`… but at the same time, he risks being found by the Organization and punished. Namine` and Xion could be harmed in the process. Was it really safe?

"Xathe?"

"Is it hidden…?"

"Of course. The Organization would never find us. Everything would be safe. Not to mention, you'd find more purpose in fighting with the Light."

Funny how she managed to guess what he was worried about…

"I'm not fighting with the Light. I don't fight for any side… if anything… I'm in between. Get that memorized… cuz I'm not agreeing to anything. I'm going with you so I can see Namine` again. No other reason."

She nods, "Okay. Let's go, then."

She opens a dark corridor behind her and prepares to walk through it. Suddenly Xathe stops her and puts a hand on her shoulder. She turns her head to him, "Just wondering… why are we dressed like this?"

Xion looks at his clothing and then down at hers, "Oh… I'm not sure why you're dressed differently, to be honest. I guess that "Vanitas" guy took extra precaution to make sure you fit in with the town. Since you're no longer part of the Organization and all."

Xathe takes his hand off her shoulder, "Okay… I guess that makes sense."

Xion nods and walks into the dark corridor. Xathe follows her but suddenly stops at the sound of footsteps.

He turns his head towards the footsteps, "What do you want…?"

The footsteps stop. He knew Xathe had found him. The mysterious man looks down and coughs.

"… I thought you were gone for good."

The cloaked man looks up at him, "I am."

Xathe spins around and glares at him, "Then why are you still here?"

He stares at Xathe's feet in silence. Finally he looks up again and speaks. "What is it that you search for, Xathe? What is it that you truly want?"

"All I want… is the truth."

The cloak crosses his arms, "Be decisive on your wishes… or you may just get them granted…"

"What is that supposed to mean? Stop speaking in riddles. You're reminding me of-…" Xathe stops himself and scowls harshly.

"You have chosen this path for us, Xathe. Tread carefully or it'll lead you to nowhere."

"I've already hit too many dead-ends, to make any more mistakes like the ones I made in the past…" Xathe trails off.

"…No you haven't. You just think you have. Truth is hard to swallow… so I wish you the best on your journey…"

Xathe turns around to the dark corridor, "Since when did you start caring?"

The cloaked man looks down, "Since now."

The conversation brings back a bad memory in Xathe's head. He then walks into the dark corridor and disappears along with it.

Meanwhile the cloaked man looks down and sighs. "Tread carefully…"

With that… the cloaked man fades away into the void.

…

…

**Sorry for the short Chapter! Also, sorry for the late update. I'll try to stay on top of things, but I'm always so busy!**

**Anyways, hope you liked it. R&R if you want, but I love advice so please share your thoughts on the story or characters.**

**Thanks, guys. -**_**The Key To Darkness**_


	19. Revelation

_Chapter XIX: Revelation_

**Hey again. It's time for Chapter 19! Soon, the drama that will shape the rest of the story will come. And for those of you who are still confused on the Xathe/Xion thing… for right now, let's just say that they're not a couple. Xathe feels no love and Xion has no heart yet.**

**So don't be a hater or an **_**Anti-XaShi. **_**There's no point really. Thought I know there are a couple people who are **_**Pro-XaShi**_**… so I'm not sure on what to do with it.**

**Could you guys do me a huge favor? Could you review on whether I should add fluff between them or not? I really need opinions on it and it would help me a lot. :)**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**Let it Rock **_**by **_**Kevin Rudolf**_**]**

**-**_**The Key To Darkness**_

…

…

_**Day 352**_

...

Xathe walks out of the dark corridor and looks around him to see a familiar white room. This was the room he woke up in, before he went to Christmas Town. This was the room where he heard the voices of Xion and Namine`…

"Xathe…"

And speaking of Namine`…

He looks up to see the familiar blonde-haired girl that he knew so long ago.

"Hi Namine`…" Xathe greets awkwardly. It seemed so different when she came to him in his mind. In person… it felt so awkward.

It gets silent in the room for a moment. Neither knew what to say.

"Listen, I-" they both say at the same time. Namine` giggles at their timing and Xathe rubs the back of his head, embarrassed. "You can go first…" Xathe mumbles.

Namine` nods, "Please, sit. We can talk comfortably." Comfortably was the biggest overstatement Xathe had ever heard. He wasn't comfortable…

Xathe looks at the chair in front of him. It's pulled about a foot away from the table that Namine` sits at. He is suspicious for a moment… but his suspicion eventually slides and he sits in the chair. He sits back against the hard, wooden chair and it gives a short creak. It must be an old chair. It's as white as the walls around him, though.

"Listen, Xathe. I know this must be difficult for you…"

Xathe interrupts, "Which part? Forgiving you, like I never do, or deciding to help you? Because both have been quite difficult."

Namine` looks down for a second but then back to him and shrugs, "Both."

"Okay, then. Continue."

She does so, "I know it's difficult for you… but I can promise that we will be able to become friends again… if you wish it."

Xathe looks down and thinks it over for a second. He looks up and nods.

Namine` smiles, "I'm glad. You've grown quite a bit since we last met…"

He rolls his eyes sarcastically, "Yeah, like 2 inches. I'm just short."

She giggles at him. "No, you're not."

"Stop being so nice to me." Xathe chuckles. "But I could say the same about your growth, as well."

She blushes, "Thanks. But I need to ask you something."

Xathe looks up, "What is it?"

"…Will you help us in taking care of Sora?"

Xathe scoffs, "I'm not a babysitter, Namine`. You should know me well enough, by now. And I am especially not a babysitter for a Keyblade master. Not my style…"

"That's not what I'm asking, Xathe…"

"Oh… then what are you asking?" he asks, curiously.

"We need Roxas and Xion in order to complete his memory restoration. But Roxas will not agree to it. Xion has already agreed to become one with Sora… but we need both of them."

Xathe stands quickly from his chair, "Wait a second! Xion and Roxas are going **into** Sora?!"

Namine` is taken aback by his outburst, "Yes… that's… what is needed."

He looks down and concentrates on the white, wooden table. What was he going to do?

"Xathe, you won't have to take part in their absorption… just in getting them to Sora."

"Do you honestly think that I'm just going to agree to that, right on the spot?" Xathe snarls.

Namine` sighs, "All you need to do is to get Roxas…"

Xathe glares at her in suspicion, "Hold on. You said that Xion… already agreed to it?"

She nods. So Xathe was right, all along…

He growls inwardly at the harsh truth. "Go on. What's the catch…?" Xathe asks in a monotone.

"The catch is… you will probably have to fight Roxas." Namine` winces, in preparation for another verbal attack from Xathe. He simply stands there and gestures for her to continue. "What's going to happen is-"

DiZ suddenly walks in and interrupts, "We've got an issue."

Xathe and Namine` both turn to DiZ. "What issue?" Xathe asks suspiciously.

"Apparently the Organization is requesting your audience…" DiZ states.

"My audience?"

"Xathe… this probably isn't a good idea." Namine` warns.

Xathe looks up, confidence in his eyes. "Then my audience they will receive. Do you know who's out there?"

"I do not know his name. But he has red, spiky hair and a cloak that belongs to the Organization."

Xathe glares at the floor, "Axel…"

Namine` stands up from her chair, "Xathe!"

He turns his head to her.

"Be careful, okay?" She heeds with worry.

Xathe nods and then rushes past DiZ and then out the door. DiZ sighs in aggravation. "Teenagers… they're all the same, these days…"

…

…

…

Xathe leaps over the outdoor gate and lands gracefully on the ground in front of it. In front of him, laid the forest and a cloaked man who is leaning against a tree.

"Well hey there, newbie."

Xathe glares in suspicion, "Why have you come, Axel?"

Axel chuckles casually, "What's wrong? Didn't you miss me at all, while you were gone?"

"Enough with the games. I know the truth. You never cared about me at all. You wished to replace me… and with a Heartless!" Xathe spits.

He shakes his head, "No, Xathe. Organization XIII wanted to replace you. I had no say or do in the matter. In fact… I was only involved in Project XV. Project XVI: I had no involvement in. That was Xemnas, Xigbar, and Saix."

"Either way. Your Organization betrayed me. I'm not coming back. So you can take that information… and shove it right up their-"

"Hold on. Hold on! Before you make any hasty decisions, I need you to consider something…" Axel pleads.

Xathe raises an eyebrow. "What is it?" he crosses his arms.

"Think about who you really are. Think about where you belong."

Xathe rolls his eyes, "It doesn't even matter who I am, anymore. I'm different now. I'm not the naïve little brat that you once knew me as. I understand everything, now."

Axel begins to chuckle.

"Something I said was funny?"

"You could say that. You think you understand everything… but you really don't understand anything."

Xathe uncrosses his arms and snarls, "What are you talking about?!"

"Xathe… do you want to know your relationship to Xemnas?" Axel asks.

"W-What? What purpose would it serve in telling me?" Xathe asks, beginning to waver by his curiosity.

Axel steps away from the tree and uncrosses his arms, "It would show you who you truly are. And in so… it would show you that you belong with us."

"I doubt that… but go ahead and tell me."

Xathe is surprised by what Axel does next. Axel waves a finger at him and gives three "tsks."

"Nope. My knowledge comes at a price…"

Xathe snarls, "What?! You didn't tell me that there was a price to it! I don't even want it if you're going to do that!" He starts to walk away but then Axel stops him.

"Don't you want to pick up the rest of the pieces of your memories? Do you not want to fix your path of broken dreams?"

Xathe looks down in deep thought over his choice. "Fine… what is your price?"

Axel smirks, "Now we're getting somewhere. What I want from you is information as well. I need to know some things from you…"

"What? Ask, and I'll answer the best to my knowledge…"

Axel crosses his arms again, "First… do you really have a heart again? I mean… since you obviously killed Xetah… would that mean that Tahe`'s heart has returned to you?"

Xathe shakes his head, "No. I thought the same as you. But instead of my heart returning… it simply returned to Kingdom Hearts. It was as if the heart was never mine to hold…"

Axel strokes his chin and looks at the ground curiously, "Well… that would answer my next question…"

"What was it?"

Axel pauses before answering, "I was going to ask you if you have become a different person. My answer would be, yes."

"A different person? What do you mean by that?" asks Xathe.

"I mean, that you are slowly becoming a separate entity from Tahe`. You're steadily turning into 'Xathe.' Which means… you're a different person."

Xathe stares at him in shock. What was he supposed to say to this? There wasn't much he could say. He was stunned to say the least. Xathe was… becoming a completely different person. A permanent Nobody…

"Guess that means I won't be getting my heart back ever again… stupid Tahe`. He's so lucky. Kingdom Hearts isn't too far from reincarnating him… which means my counterpart can brag about having a heart, while I just stand and watch. I swear… as soon as I find him… I'm going to kill him… for his second time."

Axel shrugs, "Sorry. Guess Nobodies just have it bad like that. But… with Xemnas' plan succeeding… we will all receive our hearts back. Which also means that you won't have to kill Tahe`… because his heart will go to you. You can have your life back…"

Xathe gazes at him in wonder. This was Xemnas' plan… he was going to release Kingdom Hearts so that all the Nobodies in the world could be real again! That plan is a miracle!

… And Sora is going to stop that miracle from happening. That was **their** plan all along as well. Sora, Namine`, Xion, DiZ, Riku… they all wish to stop the Nobodies from existing. They wish to destroy them like they're animals.

Organization XIII was never the evil one…

Sora was…

"Anyways… that's all I wanted to know from you," says Axel.

Xathe looks up at him, "Alright. Now you tell me what I want to know."

Axel smirks, "Of course. You see… there's also another reason why Xemnas wanted you in the Organization. It wasn't fully about Project XV. Your relationship to him… concerns him… in a way."

"What do you mean?"

Axel looks down and kicks a rock away with his foot. He crosses his arms again and mumbles to himself.

He's stalling…

"You see… Xemnas… Xemnas is your father…"

…

Xathe is knocked out of his trance by Axel shaking his shoulders a bit, "Xathe? You alright?"

Xathe shakes his head and backs away from Axel. This… this didn't make sense. "Axel… Nobodies have no parents…"

"You're right. But think way back. Remember. Remember the memories of Tahe`. I know you can do it…"

Axel steps away from him to let him concentrate. Xathe closes his eyes and tries to remember as hard as he can. He puts the words "Xemnas" and "Father" together and then tries to remember.

Suddenly a lost memory flashes before his eyes…

…

**(Flashback)**

_Tahe` exits his dark corridor with Vanitas following behind him. "The mission is complete. Vanitas spread the Unversed without difficulty." Tahe` proclaims._

_Vanitas scoffs and pushes him aside to step in front, "The next world has been set for Ventus, Master Xehanort."_

_A strange old man with a long, black coat stands before them with his hands clenched behind his back. He lets out a slow, raspy chuckle. "Excellent. Vanitas… could you leave me and Tahe` to talk for a moment?"_

_Vanitas slowly disappears into a dark corridor, "Whatever…"_

_The dark corridor fades away, leaving Tahe` and Xehanort alone. A long silence stands between them._

_"Are you ready to accept the Darkness, boy?" Xehanort asks, turning his head to Tahe`. His white beard floats in the soft wind of the Keyblade Graveyard._

_Tahe` remains silent for a little bit, before answering, "Do I have to? Why can't I stay on the Path that I'm already on?"_

_"Don't you get it, son? There is no in between… if you are going to serve Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts is said to be made of Darkness. If you want to be accepted by it… you must follow the Path that leads to it. That Path… is the Darkness," Xehanort explains._

_"I understand that… but I need a little more time to think on it. Is it fair enough to say that I might?" Tahe` pleads._

_"It will suffice for now…" he sighs. "But soon… you will have to make your decision to follow Kingdom Hearts or not. Remember… if Kingdom Hearts isn't worth following the Darkness… then is your own father worth it?"_

_Tahe` is taken aback by the question, "But of course! I would… never wish to betray you… father…"_

_Xehanort smiles slowly, "That's good. I'm expecting a full answer from you soon. Is that understood, my son?"_

_"Yes…"_

_He chuckles lightly before waving Tahe` away. Tahe` nods and disappears into a dark corridor._

**(End of Flashback)**

"Xemnas is Xehanort…" Xathe exclaims with a gasp.

Axel slowly nods, "Now you're getting the picture, aren't you? Your father misses you, Xathe. He sent a message with me to give directly to you…"

He pulls a letter out of his cloak and holds it out for Xathe. Xathe suspiciously takes the folded up paper and unfolds it to read its contents.

…

'_Dear Xathe,_

_I take it that Axel has told you of our biological relation, by now. If you are reading this… I wish to tell you that the memories of Xehanort's son have not been forgotten through his Nobody. I hope that you will realize that you belong at the right hand of your father._

_You belong at my right hand… where we conquer Kingdom Hearts and have our hearts returned to us._

_If you are reading this… then I wish to tell you where you truly belong. Will you join us, Xathe? Will you reunite with your father?_

_Or have the memories of our eternal bond faded away along with your lost heart…?_

_-Xemnas, Your Father/Superior_

…

Xathe pulls the letter from his face and stares at the ground in amazement. Xemnas… he missed Xathe. He missed his son… even if they were no longer blood related.

And even though Xathe wouldn't admit it… he longed for a father. He was born without one… and he has ever since wished to have that special bond between father and son. This was his chance to receive that special bond. This was his chance for many things!

He now knew the truth. He holds the fate of Sora and of all Nobodies… and his father gladly gave it to him. It seems a little suspicious… but what did it matter anymore?

Yes… Xathe made his decision.

…

"Let's go, Axel. I wish to see Xemnas…"

Axel chuckles, "I knew you'd see it our way. Don't worry, Xathe. We'll make sure you get your memories back."

Axel opens a dark corridor behind him and gestures for Xathe to enter it. Xathe nods and prepares to do so.

…

"Xathe, don't do it!" a female's voice yells behind him. He stops at hearing the voice shout for him.

He turns to the gate to see Xion standing there with her hand reaching for him. "Xion?" Xathe gasps.

Axel sighs, "Why do I always get stuck with the _icky_ jobs?"

Xathe steps away from the dark corridor and turns to Xion with a glare, "What do you want? You going to lie to me some more? I know the truth. Sora and his gang are all trying to end our quest for Kingdom Hearts so that you can destroy us! Sora is the evil one, not Organization XIII!"

"What? What are you talking about?! They're deceiving you, Xathe! They only want to use you against your will. The only thing they want from you is your Keyblade, Xathe!" Xion pleads.

"I said enough! Your lies were amusing at a time… but now they've pissed me off completely! I can't even look at you the same, anymore!"

Xion shakes her head, "That's wrong, Xathe! Why are you so stubborn?! The only things you truly want are being hidden from you by your arrogance and blindness! Open your eyes to the real truth and find the path you were meant to walk."

"What do you mean by the things I truly want?!"

Xion shuts her eyes in sadness, "You can't even take the time to think about how I feel towards you. You're just too blind to figure it out. Think about it, Xathe. Maybe you'll figure it out someday. But please… don't fall to the Organization's lies!"

"My mind is made up. I know what my path is, Xion. You should consider the same. I think you'd find more purpose in becoming truly whole as a person. You weren't meant to be with Sora!" Xathe shouts.

"Then who was I meant to be with? The Organization?!" Xion snarls.

Xathe looks down, "That's… not what I was saying…"

Xion stares at Xathe in surprise, "Did you just-?"

"Xathe, get out of here! I will get Xion to come back with us… one way or another. She isn't getting away from the Organization this time!" Axel shouts, shoving Xathe towards the portal.

Xathe growls in frustration before running into the dark corridor and it disappears.

Seeing Xathe willingly fall to Axel's words brings false tears to her eyes. He truly didn't care… did he?

"You… you two… you think… that you can do whatever you want! Well, I'm sick of it!" Axel spits.

Xion looks up, her face filled with many emotions, "Please, Axel… don't hold back…"

Axel holds his hand out at Xion, "Go on! You just keep running!" A flame crackles under the palm of his hand. "But I'll always be there to bring you back!" Axel's chakram flashes into his hand from the crackling flame.

The fight had begun.

…

…

**Chapter 19 ends here.**

**If you've played Kingdom Hearts 358 ½ Days, then you'll remember the last part of the chapter as the scene between Axel and Xion towards the end of the game. The scene where Xion and Axel are about to fight.**

**Anyways, please tell me your opinions on the subject I brought up at the beginning of the Chapter. Every review counts for me, so every opinion will be taken into consideration.**

**Thanks, guys! -**_**The Key To Darkness**_


	20. Somebody's Nobody

_Chapter XX: Somebody's Nobody_

**Hello guys! :)**

**Here is the long-awaited Chapter 20!**

**Warning: Possible spoilers for Dream Drop Distance! If there are any, it will be either a very light spoiler or some-what subtle.**

**Anyways, read and enjoy!**

**-**_**The Key To Darkness**_

…

…

_**Day 352**_

…

Xemnas stands at the top of the Castle That Never Was, waiting for the presence of his lost son. Or at least that's the way the Superior made it sound. Yes, Xemnas did want Xathe back… but not for the reason he claimed.

He only recently discovered Xathe's connection to himself. It took much work, but if it means getting Kingdom Hearts, then it was very much worth it. Xathe will fall right into Organization XIII's clutches. It will be Xathe's mistake though, for making it so easy in the first place. Xemnas could read Xathe like a book. His actions made it so obvious that he needed somebody who truly cares for him. He needed a "father figure."

And since Xemnas, literally, was his father… this made the trap very easy to assemble.

The details of the plan would soon be revealed… once Xathe arrived. Once he shows up, Organization XIII will find assured success…

…

…

…

A dark corridor opens behind Xemnas, and out of it comes Xathe.

The portal closes behind him and Xathe stares at his father in silence. He had nothing to say, or wanted to say. He didn't know what to do. After all… he wasn't accustomed to situations like this.

"You've come…" Xemnas states the obvious.

"Yes. I… know the truth," Xathe trails off.

Xemnas looks down, disturbed by the lack of conversation.

"What is it that you wish of me, father?" Xathe asks in a monotone. Xathe was smart enough to know that Xemnas wasn't the kind of Nobody to summon Xathe just because of their bond. He knew that Xemnas had something in store for him.

"I wish for you to join our ranks again, of course," Xemnas exclaims.

"Even after I ruined your plans? Unless your memory has failed you, I destroyed Xetah… and terminated Project XVI single-handedly."

Xemnas smiles lightly, "That you did… but we have much bigger plans for our newest Project. The reason we wished to replace you with Number XVI is because we thought you were becoming rebellious towards us. And if you learned the whole truth about yourself, we thought you would flee from us… again."

Xathe crosses his arms, "Well… nearly destroying me didn't help stop me, very much… if you know what I'm saying?"

"Indeed… we underestimated many things. The main one being, that we thought Xetah would be more powerful than you."

Xathe rolls his eyes, "He was stronger than me… I was just faster. Not to mention smarter…" he mumbles the last part.

Xemnas chuckles lightly, "That was made obvious. But we have duties to accomplish if Kingdom Hearts is to be completed."

"Right." Xathe nods slowly. "So what do you have to offer that Sora can't provide?"

"Many things. I can promise you great power. I can promise you, your very own heart. Once our plans are accomplished… you won't need that bothersome teenager inside you any longer."

Xathe feels a pull at his chest. Suddenly everything becomes blurry as a voice fills his brain. '_We have a deal… remember? My heart, for your body. Break that deal? I will go to someone else… and your body will fade…_'

Xathe's vision returns to normal and he grabs his head in agitated pain. The warning echoes through his mind again and again.

"C-Continue…" Xathe gasps.

"Of course. But if that wasn't enough to convince you… then I can promise not only the most powerful of all the Keyblades… but care for your existence. Your father will be here for you…"

Xathe looks down, "Alright… I'll join again…"

Xemnas smiles, "Excellent. Return to your room that you had before… and tomorrow your first assignment will be given… son."

Xathe turns around to walk away, but then the voice returns to his head. The voice of Vanitas.

His words echo and morph together to create a sickening and maddening collage of warnings.

'_He's deceiving you! What are you doing?!_'

'_Leave now, while you still have the chance!_'

'_Don't do this! You're falling into their trap! They will not hesitate to destroy you!_'

'_Are you really stupid enough to walk into your own demise?_'

'_Xemnas and Xehanort are both liars! They only wish to use you! Being your father means nothing to them! They only wish to achieve their own goals… and you happen to be the key to the next step of their plan!_'

The voices fade away along with all light in the world as he passes into unconsciousness.

…

…

…

He opens his eyes ever so slowly and turns his head to look around him. Xathe is… in his old room. On his old bed. In his old home…

"Good morning, sunshine. Welcome back," a voice chuckles. Xathe turns his head the door and sees Xigbar standing against the door post with his arms crossed and a smug smirk drawn.

"Xigbar? What are you… doing here?" Xathe grumbles, grabbing his throbbing head.

"Superior told me to check on ya. I didn't expect you to wake up so quickly… but I guess I might as well tell you now," Xigbar shrugs.

"Tell me what?"

"Meh… not much. The poppet's back. That's about it…" Xigbar sighs.

Xathe's eyes open wide and he gasps, "Xion?!"

"Yeah. Axel brought her back…"

Xathe shoots out of his bed and brushes past Xigbar out the door. He darts down the hallway as fast as he can. He had to see Xion… there was so much that he needed to say to her. If he didn't say it now… he was afraid he'd never get the chance again…

He rushes to her room and peeks in the open door to find nobody inside. "Damn…"

Xathe sprints to the grey room and finds nothing there, either. Where the hell was she?

Xathe runs through the many paths and hallways throughout the Castle until he finally reaches the place he was looking for: the Entrance. Xathe had never been to the giant room which held the entrance to the Castle That Never Was… but he was betting that Xion was here.

He raises an eyebrow as he walks down the steps to see Xion disappearing into a dark corridor. Her hood is pulled over her head and she holds an ominous look about her. Something is wrong…

Xathe runs down the last staircase and suddenly another dark corridor opens in front of him. It was too late… where ever Xion went… he wouldn't know because the portal she went through disappears.

And as if it was timed… Xemnas comes out of the dark corridor in front of Xathe, right afterwards.

"Where is Xion?" Xathe snarls.

"Why should you care? She's just a puppet, after all…"

Xathe's eyebrows furrow, "What are you talking about?!"

"You didn't know? I thought you would have figured it out by now. Xion isn't a real Nobody. She never was," Xemnas sighs in disappointment.

"So? What are you trying to tell me? That she has a heart?" asks Xathe.

"No. In fact… she isn't a human or a Nobody. Xion… is a Replica."

Xathe gasps. Xion's a Replica?! How… how is that possible? It isn't possible! There's no way.

"You're denying the truth… why? Do I sense… fear… in your new heart? Fear for Xion's existence?" Xemnas chuckles.

"How did you know about the heart inside of me?" Xathe gasps.

Xemnas crosses his arms, "I knew about it since you spoke to me of the "raven-haired teen" inside your head. I immediately knew that he would become a major part of our future plans. Ansem was the one who devised it; I am the one who will put it into action. I also knew that eventually, you would accept the teen as a part of you… in doing so… his heart would fill the hollowness in your body."

Xathe looks down in shock, "You knew about this the whole time? Why didn't you tell me sooner? I… could have been a bigger help. You didn't have to order Xetah to destroy me."

"Oh but I did. I would have explained the side-effects of accepting the unknown teen as your counterpart… and you would reject the boy once you knew. Xetah destroying you was the only way to force you into a situation where you had to rely on the teen in order to continue existing…" Xemnas explains.

"So you're saying that… Xetah was never meant to replace me? It was all a ploy to hide the real plan for Xetah?"

Xemnas nods, "You're catching on. With how incompetent Xetah was, the Keyblade master would have surely destroyed him. I know not the name of this mysterious youth inside of you… but I'm confident that he is the Key to unlocking Kingdom Hearts."

"His name is Vanitas," Xathe deadpans, beginning to realize the true purpose of Project XV.

"Vanitas…"

"I understand now. I was never a member of the Organization… I was just the body of the true member. Vanitas was Number XV all along… wasn't he? The only part that I played… was making sure his heart was fully repaired," Xathe explains in a monotone. "Isn't that right?"

"You left out some parts. Once Vanitas' heart was fully repaired… it was all a matter of bringing your pride so low… and breaking you so much, that you will give in to Vanitas' full control. When you killed Xetah… you ran away instead of coming back to us like we thought you would."

"That explains why you were worried about me rebelling. I think I know what you are talking about now. You wish to imprison me, right? Then you think that you can break me and my pride? That's funny. The only thing you succeeded in, today, was giving me a new goal. To terminate Project XV and destroy the heart of Vanitas." A smirk slowly slips across his lips.

"We won't need to imprison you… or break you. Somebody very important to you will do it for us…"

Xathe's eyes open widely, "Xion…"

"Indeed. Once she kills Roxas and becomes the Keyblade master… she will despise you. She will want nothing more than to serve Organization XIII. I think that should be enough to break you to our whim. If not… there's always Namine`…" a sinister, devious grin spreads over his face.

"You bastard…" Xathe gasps.

"Aren't all Nobodies bastards?" Xemnas laughs. "There's nothing you can do, XV. Even if you run away… once the deed is done, you will fall to the control of your counterpart."

Rage covers Xathe's expression. He couldn't stand the thought of the Organization winning. All he could do was wait for his heart to break… and then it was open season on his heart. Xathe was vulnerable. Vanitas could no longer be trusted to keep their agreement… because of Xemnas.

"You… you… you empty… horrible… son of a bitch! I won't let you win! Vanitas can't serve you if I'm dead! Fight me!" Xathe screams, summoning Fallen Angel in an indigo flash. "Kill me, you spineless coward!"

Xemnas growls in agitation, "Fine… imprisonment it is!"

He summons his Ethereal Blades and levitates into the air. Xathe didn't want to win the fight, but if he was powerful enough to take Xemnas out with him… then that's his plan.

"Today… your son dies… and his father, with him!" Xathe spits, rushing at Xemnas and going all out in a flurry of fast strikes. The slashes slam into Xemnas' crossed blades.

Xemnas throws his arms out, his Ethereal Blades throwing Xathe away from him. Xathe puts aside all of his self control and restraint. His eyes instantly glow in a deep golden fire, his blue irises disappearing possibly forever. His pupils dilate in the greatness of his pure hatred.

Xathe leaps at Xemnas and lashes out with everything he has. Keyblade meets Ethereal Blades in a furious clash of magic sparks.

Their clash lasts for a while before Xemnas crosses his blades in front of him and Xathe's Keyblade comes down in between the two blades. Xemnas immediately flexes out in an explosion of dark magic. The incredible eruption launches Xathe into the staircase behind him.

A gasp of pain escapes his lips as his spine meets the edge of the stairs. His body rolls down the staircase until he crashes into the hard floor.

Xemnas walks up to Xathe's downed body and plants a foot on his back. "Stay down, XV. If you know what's good for you, you'll do so…"

Xathe groans in response as he rolls onto his back and pushes Xemnas' foot off of him. "Kill me, father. While you… still have the chance…" Xathe pleads.

"Unfortunately… that's not part of our plan," Xemnas sighs.

"No… no. Xion… no. Namine`… don't touch Namine`!" Xathe screams, lunging at Xemnas with Fallen Angel drawn to kill.

Xemnas throws his hand out and grasps his whole hand around Xathe's thin neck. He grabs Xathe's throat so tight that he begins to suffocate him.

Xathe kicks and squirms in his father's grip. He soon starts to fall to the lack of oxygen and his Keyblade drops to the ground with a clang. The blade fades into the air.

"Don't… must… no…" Xathe chokes out, before falling into the cold hands of unconsciousness. The last thing he sees… is Xigbar dropping from the ceiling behind Xemnas. He says something… but Xathe blacks out before he can process his words.

_'From Nothing… to Nothing…_' the voice of Vanitas whispers in his mind.

…

…

**So the fight between Xathe and Mansex… I mean Xemnas… has come to a close. But we're not done yet! Stay tuned for next Chapter!**

**Thanks for your kind words and advice, to those who have given it! I can't thank you guys enough for your continued support!**

**Later. -**_**The Key To Darkness**_


	21. Break

_Chapter XXI: Break_

**Chapter 21 is here.**

**In this, you will see the emotional side of Xathe. This Chapter will show the full extent of his rage and sadness. So prepare for an explosion of emotions.**

**{Warning: Some graphic language. Very graphic violence and some blood. But since this is Rated T… I will try to make it as minor as I can.}**

**-**_**The Key To Darkness**_

…

…

_**Day 357**_

…

…

Light returns to his blackened vision. That horrible feeling returns to his body… the feeling of being awake and alive. Why didn't Xemnas just kill him and get it over with?!

"I'll just do it myself…" Xathe growls to himself. He holds his hand out to summon his Keyblade and concentrates. A light flashes from his hand…

… Then nothing.

"What the hell?" Xathe tries again and the same thing happens. "Why can't I summon my Keyblade?!"

Xathe tries again and again in different poses and motions, but failure results every time.

"Okay… ready…" Xathe throws his hand out dramatically. "Open Sesame!"

A flash shoots out and his Keyblade appears. "Yes!"

…Suddenly the Keyblade disappears again. Xathe's face turns red in agitation. Steam practically shoots out his ears at the thought of being stuck in The Castle That Never Was and waiting for his sanity to fade away.

Just then, he realized… he was in a prison cell.

He runs up to the bars of his cell and sticks his head in between the bars. Then he sees the suspected jailer… Xemnas.

"Looks like you've finally woken up. How are you feeling, Vanitas?" Xemnas asks deviously.

"I feel like tearing out your throat and eating it…" Xathe snarls.

Xemnas waves a finger at him, "Now, now. You are in no position to be disrespectful. In fact… I should probably be punishing you right now."

"Where's my Keyblade?! What have you done with it?!" Xathe spits.

"Your Keyblade? Are you saying that your Keyblade has disappeared? So you are far more vulnerable?" asks Xemnas, fascinated. A sly smirk slips across his lips.

"Shit…" Xathe gasps, his eyes widening.

Xemnas howls in laughter "Don't worry. I won't torture you…"

Xathe sighs in relief.

"That's Saix's job." Xemnas chuckles darkly.

'_That's worse… definitely worse…_' Xathe stutters inwardly. His eye twitches as Saix comes up to the jail cell. Xathe falls onto the floor behind him and scoots away quickly.

"Hello, Number XV." Saix greets, his voice deep and serious.

Xathe pins himself against the wall at the back of his cell, "H-Hey…"

Saix opens the door to the cell and walks in. Xemnas closes it behind Saix and watches in enjoyment. Xathe tries to back up further, but the wall stops him. "No… stay away! Stay away from me!"

"I'm disappointed… you've let panic control you. You're so pathetic. Lose your precious Keyblade, and you as weak and vulnerable as a lost puppy. Weakness isn't an acceptable feature in Organization XIII. It's time for you to learn that the hard way…" Saix spits. He picks Xathe up by his throat and throws him against one of the cell walls.

Xathe growls as he stands firm on his feet. Nobody **ever** called **him** weak…

"Let's dance moon-man…" Xathe deadpans.

"How are you going to fight back? Not only has your pride and Keyblade been thrown away… but the puppet is gone as well." Saix growls in his face.

"P-Puppet…?"

Saix smirks, "The Replica… Xion… she's gone. She died at the hands of Roxas."

Xathe's eyes widen in horror. "You're lying… you're trying to deceive me!"

"Am I?"

Xathe's eyes blot up with false tears. The tears of a Nobody. Tears that couldn't be shed, nor seen. Tears that are fake and unable to show the power in them.

"No…" Xathe drops to his knees and let's Saix's words sink in. She's gone… forever. She faded. Forever…

The tears block his vision. It's… too much…

Suddenly Xathe realizes the truth in his friendship that he had with Xion… but it was too late. Too late to laugh with her; too late to have an actual friendship. The only thing he felt now… was broken.

Now he was truly weak… "X-X-Xion…" Xathe stammers.

"She's gone… and soon your very memories of her will fade away with her. Mine and the Superior's memories have already begun to fade. Yours will be the same way. And if I recall correctly, a lot of your memories involved Xion, didn't they?" Saix taunts.

Xathe stares at the floor in depressed silence.

"Your memories with her will die. She never liked you anyways. How could she? You're a worthless animal, with one purpose. That purpose is to take good care of Vanitas, which is already done. Your purpose has been fulfilled. Xion could look in your eyes… and see the same things we see."

He looks up to Saix with great agony in his eyes.

"We see nothing but anger and destruction. Xion hates both of those. So in other words… she hated you. You kept stalking after her, looking for a friend, but she didn't want you. You have always been ugly and vile."

Xathe's jaw drops and fire burns in his now enraged irises. Saix suddenly chuckles at the sight of Xathe being so pathetic and weakened. He's broken and his pride has all but disappeared. All that remains is a punching bag that will only get more and more broken as Saix pushes to do so.

"How do you feel, Xathe? Do you feel fear? Hate? Sadness? Broken? Or maybe it's a mix of them all. What are you going to do? You've been exposed. You let your bottled-up emotions show, you've shown how truly weak you are…"

That did it. That hit the bullseye. That's all it took to completely break him…

And for the first time in Xathe's life as a Nobody… he cries. Tears drip lightly down his face and onto the cold, gray floor. He chokes out sobs of regret and remorse. But what's done is done. Nothing could change…

Saix smiles smugly, "I've already broken you… and I could spend hours pointing out your flaws and weaknesses. That's all you are anyways. A flaw. But I'll leave you to your own destruction…"

With that, Saix walks out of the cell. He disappears down the hallway with Xemnas.

…

…

…

Xathe lies in the center of his cell, his sweat formed in a puddle beside him. As Saix said, he watched his memories slowly be erased of any trace of "Xion."

Xathe lost pronunciation of her name. He couldn't say it right anymore. That's what made him stop sobbing, was the fact that he couldn't even remember her name. The love of his empty life died… and with her… all of his memories of her.

He begged Vanitas to just end his pain… but Vanitas refused. He said that even **he** didn't have the heart to do that to him. Xathe didn't understand what he meant... but soon he understood. Vanitas was one with Xathe… so killing Xathe would only kill him as well.

It has served nothing but destroy Xathe again and again every time a memory of her fades away. Vanitas would usually take a time like this to torment Xathe for being so weak and pathetic… but he remains silent. He feels that the only thing he can do here… is watch and wait.

Organization XIII wanted Vanitas to take control of Xathe and then serve them. That's what they thought the plan was… but Vanitas had other things in mind. Vanitas wanted a body of his own.

He didn't mind sharing a body with Xathe for a little while… but then impatience started settling in. Vanitas doesn't want to control Xathe… but he does want to be free.

…

…

…

Strange noises fill the prison cell as Xathe gets to his unstable legs again. He looks around him to see deformed Dusks surrounding him in some sort of circle. They were hostile…

Xathe puts both hands on his head and yanks at the black locks of hair that cover his skull. He growls and grumbles at the floor as he slowly lets his sanity fade along with his pride.

Then… it happens. He glares at the Dusks with incredible hatred and screams at them. The deformed Nobodies attack him.

Xathe lets them come in at him and waits. One of the Dusks charge in at him and he throws his hand out to grab its throat. He squeezes as hard as he can on the Dusk's deformed neck until he feels its neck snap in his grip.

The Dusk fades into the air and Xathe turns to glare at the rest of the Dusks. A courageous one charges at him and does a strange, double-jointed spin. Xathe grabs the thin Nobody by its small torso and throws it to the floor before stomping on it over and over.

The Dusk finally fades as well and the others back away from him.

Blood trickles down his face from his forehead.

He suddenly falls to the floor in great pain. His rage mixed with his pain too unevenly. It was destroying him…

…

…

…

The few Dusks stay in the corner of the cell in fear of Xathe's rage.

Xathe simply kneels on the floor and shakes in agony. Everything was fading away… he couldn't stand it, yet there was nothing he could do to stop it. The pain felt eternal…

...

The door to his cell opens and then closes. Somebody walked in… but Xathe was in too much pain to see who it was.

It's silent for a long time, before the cell's guest speaks, "Are you okay, Xathe?"

It's Demyx… because nobody else was dumb enough to ask a question like that to him. Xathe simply shakes his head violently as he tugs at his hair.

"She was just one person… why does she mean so much to you?"

Xathe turns and glares at him, "If you were me, you would understand. I have nothing special to me in my life. **She** became that one special thing… and now it's gone. I can't even remember what it- what she looks like anymore…"

"I think I understand. If I lost my sitar… I'd probably be in the same position as you…" Demyx sighs.

Xathe shakes again, "Everybody needs something special in their life, Demyx. I lost mine, forever. And it was not… a fucking… sitar."

Demyx rubs the back of his mullet awkwardly. "I know… but can't you come up with another special thing? What about your Keyblade?"

Xathe shakes his head, "It's gone, too… I have no idea why…"

"Oh… I'm… sorry?"

"You shouldn't be. We Nobodies can't express sorrow. Or guilt… or remorse…"

"I think I get it…" Demyx sighs again.

"Why… why did you come here? I thought we wouldn't be friends ever again…" asks Xathe. He slowly brings himself up to sit on his heels in a kneeling position.

"Nah! You're my bro, dude. Sure, we haven't got to talk much… but that doesn't mean anything. I have at least some concern for you."

Xathe smirks weakly. "Yeah…"

"Look… I can't get you out of here… but I can at least try to help you. If you'll let me, that is…"

Xathe turns to him again, "I never let anybody help me… why would I start with you?"

"Because you're hurting. You've never dealt with pain before. So you never needed anybody to help you…" Demyx trails off. "Now… I think you need help."

"What could you possibly do for a Nobody, like me?" Xathe spits.

Demyx walks over to Xathe and holds his hand out to him, "I can get you back on your feet…"

Xathe smirks again. Demyx had a very good point. That, Xathe couldn't deny. Xathe grabs his hand and Demyx pulls Xathe up to his feet.

"See? That wasn't so hard. Now say encouraging words to yourself. Stop putting yourself down… and remember your friendship for the way it was, before. If that's possible at all… you'll enjoy it."

"Thanks… Demyx…"

"It's not a problem. But like I said: remember it for the way it was… not the way it is."

Xathe raises a brow, "Why are you helping me? Doesn't the Organization **want** me to destroy myself?"

"Yes. But I'm one of the couple members who know it's probably not going to work out the way the Superior plans." He turns to the cell door then back to Xathe, dramatically, and whispers into his ear, "And plus, I'm not even supposed to be down here in the first place."

This makes Xathe chuckle. Demyx chuckles as well before turning to the door and walking out. He stops outside the door and looks at Xathe over his left shoulder.

Demyx gets a very serious look and says, "You're welcome…" and with that, disappears into a dark corridor.

"I'm welcome? Welcome for what?" Suddenly Xathe gasps as he sees what Demyx did…

Demyx "forgot" to close the cell door.

Xathe smiles deviously at his chance of escape. Vanitas' voice shouts in his head…

'_Run for it, you idiot!'_

He sprints out the cell door but stops quickly, making his feet slide on the floor. He turns back to his cell and stares at the Dusks in the corner of the room. "Sorry that I scared you guys so much. You're free now. Go out and explore the world."

They slowly float towards the door, cautiously and Xathe steps aside for them to come out. The Dusks turn to him and they all nod, before turning and slithering away down the hall. Xathe smiles before turning around and running away as well.

…

…

…

Xathe stops at the end of the hallway and he suddenly gets an idea, "I'm going to need a distraction. A big one…"

He turns to see a patrolling Dusk, walking down the hallway to watch over the many jail cells. The Dusk is followed by two others as they all float down the hallway.

A light-bulb turns on in Xathe's head as he gets a plan in his mind…

…

…

…

The Dusks get to the end of the hallway and then turn around to walk down again when they see one of the high-ranking Nobodies of Organization XIII approaching them.

They all do a quick bow before standing straight (or as straight as a Dusk can get, anyways) and waiting for orders.

"What are you blithering idiots gawking at?! Didn't you hear? A prisoner has escaped one of the main cells which, by the way, was under **your** watch, I believe!"

The guard Dusks shake nervously from Xathe's words.

"I have direct orders from the Superior himself. He demands that you release the prisoners of every single cell in the dungeon. This prisoner is under high value… and he will not escape!" Xathe exclaims, harshly.

The Dusks stare at him in confusion and disbelief.

"Well? What are you waiting for?! Do I look like the Superior to you?! It's not like I'm giving you fake orders or anything. That would be just plain stupid. So hurry up and do it, before the prisoner escapes!"

The Dusks look at each other for a moment before shrugging and slithering down the hallway as fast as they can. They're literally going to do it…

"Imbeciles…" Xathe chuckles.

…

…

…

A long silence floats in the air…

Suddenly every cell door shoots open and hundreds of deformed Nobodies fly out of them. The Nobodies screech and rant as they fill the halls of Organization XIII.

"I just formed a prison-break… I'm **so** bad!" Xathe laughs, rushing down the hallway and mixing in with the escaped Nobodies.

And then…

All hell broke loose…

…

…

**Woo! Prison-break! Go Xathe!**

**Ha ha! Anyways**, **hope you enjoyed or cried or both. I mean… the beginning was very depressing…**

**Either way, R&R and I'll seeya next update. Next Chapter is Xathe's big escape, so that'll be very exciting to write!**

**Bye. -**_**The Key To Darkness**_


	22. Break (Part II)

_Chapter XXII: Break (Part II)_

**Here goes Chapter 21 Part 2! So… is it really Chapter 22? Or is it just a continuation of Chapter 21? 0.o**

**Ha-ha! So anyways, who's ready to see Saix get an ass-kicking?!**

**I can't guarantee that'll happen… but what the heck! Read and find out for yourselves!**

**Oh, and while you're at it, leave a little review in the secret box that's sitting beside me. His name is Fredrick… so make Fredrick happy and review.**

**[Song Inspiration: **_**Stand My Ground **_**by **_**Within Temptation**_**]**

**So without further ado… -**_**KtD**_

…

…

_**Day 357**_

…

…

Xathe stumbles out of the chaotic crowd of escaped Nobodies and scoffs. "Jeez! They apparently haven't had enough free-time…"

He shakes his head and turns to where some stray Nobodies swayed off to.

"I bet those guys actually know where the exit to this damned place is. I also need to find some sort of weapon to replace my Keyblade for until I can summon it again…" Xathe contemplates.

…

…

…

Xathe jumps out of the Castle's closet and aims his newfound weapon at the wall in front of him.

"This isn't necessarily powerful… but it will suffice." Xathe nods, flipping the weapon around in the air before sprinting down the hallway.

…

…

…

He sneaks around the corner and finds himself in one of the courtyards that have been used for past training. Xathe trained here, himself, a long time ago.

Suddenly a dark disturbance enters his senses… one of silence and deceit… one that… is coming from the sky?

Xathe's gaze shoots up to the air behind him.

"Well, well… looks like we've got us a little runaway…" The Nobody chuckles, spinning right-side-up and dropping to his feet with his arms crossed.

"Xigbar…" Xathe greets cautiously.

"Xemnas will be much displeased with you. I will have to tell him, naturally…" Xigbar sighs.

Xathe begins to sweat nervously at the thought of being caught red-handed before he could even find the exit. This was not a good situation to be in…

"But I think I'll have a little fun with you, first. I wouldn't wanna let you run around the Castle while I take the time to report you. Better to take matters into my own hands!" Xigbar laughs, summoning his arrow-guns.

Xathe pulls back his weapon in both hands to assure a steady aim.

"How do you expect to fight me… when you're carrying a **mop**?!" Xigbar falls into a fit of laughter.

"Hey, shut up! I can still beat you! I'll show you, myself!" Xathe's cheeks turn red in embarrassment of the fact that he has to use a mop as a replacement for his Keyblade…

"Show me!" Xigbar shouts, using rapid fire with his guns to attack Xathe. Xathe quickly reacts, spinning the large end of his mop, with great speed. Surprisingly, the mop's padding manages to deflect the many laser beams that are fired at him.

"Hey! This is unfair! Why don't you give me one of your guns, so we can fight fairly?" Xathe shouts up at the air-born Xigbar.

Xigbar scoffs. "As if. I'm not here to play nice, kiddo. I'm here to capture you. Real fighters don't play around. Get that memorized, because every time I've seen you fight, you do nothing but mess around the whole time…" lectures Xigbar. "Why do you think you always end up losing?"

Xathe snarls in anger, throwing out his hand and hastily firing an Aero spell. The wind current flies at Xigbar and prepares to destroy him. But at the last second, Xigbar teleports and leaves the Aero spell to fade in the air. Xigbar appears again and wastes no time in firing down upon Xathe.

The bullets fly when Xathe rushes towards him. Many are dodged, others blocked, but some managed to catch his legs which slow his sprint.

"Come on!" Xigbar taunts, teleporting as Xathe comes to a screeching halt.

"Huh?!" Xathe gasps.

A long silence lingers in the air as Xathe searches everywhere around him, '_Come on… where'd you go this time…?_' Xathe asks mentally. This whole fight was becoming frustrating.

"I can see you!" A voice shouts from behind. Xathe swings his mop behind him and aims the battered bottom of it in the direction of the voice. As expected, lasers strafe the surprisingly stiff mop.

Xathe pulls his mop back and aims his fist up in the air at the air-born Xigbar. "Enough already! Just give up!"

Xigbar howls in laughter, "I don't believe you're in the position to be giving **me **orders!"

Xathe smirks confidently, "And what if I am?" he raises an eyebrow. Xigbar's reaction brings much amusement to Xathe. He was really getting on Xigbar's last nerve, and his face only made it more obvious.

"I'm fed up with your arrogance. It's time to finish you off, kiddo!" Xigbar shouts in aggravation. He pulls his guns together, slowly. The arrow-guns begin to glow as they morph together…

Xathe's eyes grow big as he pulls his mop over his shoulder and runs away as fast as he can. He knew what was coming next was not going to be pretty…

The arrow-guns combine to form a giant, makeshift sniper-rifle. Xigbar aims the over-powered gun at Xathe as he runs down the hallway. "Gotcha…" Xigbar whispers, getting Xathe right between the cross-hairs.

Then Xigbar pulls the trigger…

…

A loud bang crashes into Xathe's eardrums as a blinding, blue light chases after Xathe and he rushes down the hallway as fast as he possibly can. The light closes in fast and Xathe's shadow can be seen in front of him as he runs.

Xathe finally finds the riot of escaped Nobodies in the grey room at the end of the hallway. They all surround Saix as the blue-haired devil fights to control them. Xathe suddenly gets a devious idea in his mind…

"Hey, Saix!" Xathe shouts as he gallops into the grey room. Sais spins around to gawk at Xathe, obviously shocked by the young Nobody's presence.

Saix has no time to speak, as Xathe pulls a "leap-frog" maneuver over his head and shouts, "Catch that for me!"

As Xathe leaps off of Saix's head, he shoves him back and into the last thing Saix needed to find.

Saix stares into the face of a giant energy blast…

And then the last thing Saix and Xathe see before everything goes blank… is a blinding explosion.

Xathe was probably just a _little bit_ close to the blast…

…

…

…

Xathe slowly opens his eyes, his vision blurry from the instant explosion. He sits up, grunts, and rubs the back of his head in slight pain. Did that actually kill Saix?!

…

He looks up to see Saix flat on his back, unconscious. Well… if he wasn't dead, he was going to be in pain for quite a while.

"Sucks for you, mate. Not…" Xathe grunts sarcastically, getting up onto his wobbly feet and picking up his mop. "How does this thing manage to survive everything?"

Xathe shrugs before steadying himself. He charges at the downed warrior with his mop drawn high above his head. "It's time to end your horrible existence…"

Suddenly, a projectile knocks his mop out of his hand and another one lands in his foot. A final one hits him in the gut and he falls over, onto Saix. The attack was unexpected and puts Xathe in a daze.

But then a familiar laugh slowly brings him back to his senses. He steadily brings his head up to see Xigbar with steam drifting off of one of his arrow-guns.

"Aww… such a cute couple…" Xigbar coos sarcastically.

Xathe looks down to see his face inches away from Saix's face… and he's awake again…

"Get. Off. Of me." Saix snarls, harshly. Xathe immediately does as told and scrambles off of him. He then stands, ready, and draws back his mop in preparation for battle. Saix slowly makes it to his feet as well, his posture slightly bent from the aftermath of Xigbar's attack.

"I'm not afraid of you! What makes you think that I should be?!" Xathe shouts. He aims his fist out at them and shakes it violently. "You couldn't fight a cold!"

Xathe charges at Saix right as he draws out his Claymore and slams into Xathe.

The impact not only throws Xathe to the floor, but breaks his mop in half. Xathe gets to his feet again, steadying himself as he does so. He keeps a firm grip on both halves of the mop in each hand.

Xigbar walks up beside the angered Saix, snickering to himself. "Come on… it's two to one. I could defeat you by myself… Saix could as well. You don't stand a chance, kiddo. Just give up!"

Xathe becomes nervous as Saix and Xigbar approach him and corner him against the windows of the grey room. This situation reminded him of another one that took place a while ago… the situation with Xetah. No… this wouldn't be a repeat of that.

Xathe only had one last chance… and he used it. He used it to defeat Xetah. Death was not an option after that. His ticket was spent… now he has no choice but to fight with all he's got…

"The odds are not in your favor, Vanitas…" Saix chuckles darkly.

…

"…You Organization XIII really need to learn how to play fair…"

The three fighters turn to a dark corridor opened beside Xathe. Out of it walks an older-looking man with an Organization cloak and a hood drawn over his head.

Saix and Xigbar back away from him in surprise, while Xathe simply stares at him with curiosity.

"What are you doing here? Do I know you?" Xathe asks the mystery man.

"I should ask you the same thing. Aren't you supposed to be where you belong?" The man asks in irritation. "You're just lucky that I agreed to come and rescue you."

"Psh… yeah right. I can handle this!" Xathe scoffs.

The hooded man turns to Xathe, "Your broken mop says otherwise…"

Xathe blushes in embarrassment and rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Enough of this conversing! Who are you?! And why do you wear the same coat as the Organization?!" Saix shouts.

"Sorry. That's for another time. For now… I've only come for Xathe… so just back off." The man demands.

Saix and Xigbar are appalled. "Who are you to be making demands of Organization XIII, dude?"

"Come on, Xathe. There isn't much time…" The man hastens.

"W-What? O-Okay, I guess?" Xathe agrees in confusion.

It gets silent as the older man drags Xathe into the dark corridor by his arm. The silence is unusual but sweet. Silence could be considered the music of life, in Xathe's eyes…

But that music is suddenly ended by one comment… and by none other than Saix…

"Go on… you can run. But you will come back to us… you're Vanitas. Which means you'll always come back to the Darkness…"

…

The older man stops in front of the dark corridor and turns to Xathe, who is now resisting to be pulled. A look of sheer hatred is drawn across his face.

"Don't, Xathe. They're only trying to prod you. Don't fall for it…" the man heeds.

"Xathe… that's my name… Xathe…"

The man turns fully to him, "What? Yes… that is… your name…"

Xathe yanks his arm from the man's grip and spins around to glare at Xigbar and Saix with the utter-most hatred. "My name is Xathe! Why don't you get the damned name right for once?!"

Xigbar chuckles lightly, while Saix shakes his head in disappointment.

"So rebellious… just like the puppet…"

That was too far… that completely crossed the line…

"You… son of a bitch… her name… was **Xion**!" Xathe screams, throwing his right hand out to his side and pouring all of his passionate hatred out into his energy.

And then his Keyblade forms into his grasp…

Saix pulls his Claymore into position and powers up into Berserk form. But the boost in strength does not intimidate Xathe, for his anger has taken him by force.

'_Open the door…_' Vanitas whispers in his mind.

Xathe's eyes widen. '_But... what if I lose control… I don't want to lose my body!_'

'_Relax… I'm not gonna take over your body, like Xemnas said I would. I can promise you that. But in the damaged state you're in… you'll never win this fight…_'

Xathe shakes his head, '_My heart can take this fight; it can't take the full control of Darkness… I'm sorry…_'

'_Then let me prove it to you… open the door. Do it…_'

…

Xathe opens his eyes to a shadowed world, with a Keyhole only yards away from him. This was it…

"_No turning back…_" Xathe whispers. "_I'm not afraid. Even if the Darkness takes my heart forever… I'll keep my oath to you. You paid your end of the deal… showing me a different path…_"

Xathe speaks to the black-haired girl who lies dormant, deep within his broken memories. The black-haired girl who showed him what love could have felt like.

"_But now it's my turn. For you… for Vanitas… for Namine`…_"

He summons Fallen Angel in his grasp and aims it at the Keyhole.

His voice speaks in sync with Vanitas', "_Let's open the door…_"

A beam of light streams into the dark hole and the world of shadows becomes filled with an incredible light. This was the Darkness… this is what it feels like…

Only one word could come to Xathe's mind for the incredulous feeling of Darkness filling his body…

Overwhelming…

…

…

…

Saix rushes at Xathe and attacks with brutal force, swinging his Claymore back and forth in Xathe's direction. Xathe shows incredible resilience, deflecting each and every hit until he leaps away from Saix. His landing is graceful, but his gestures: harsh.

Sparks surround them as Keyblade meets Claymore again and again.

Saix swings it back and then brings it down onto Xathe's counter stance. The two steels crash together, before Xathe thrusts his hand into Saix's gut and blasts him away with a spell of darkness.

Saix's chest heaves from the speed of the fight, but Xathe continues to charge in. His eyes shine with a bright gold, showing that he has let in the Darkness.

It wasn't just Xathe that Saix was fighting anymore… Xathe was fighting as many, now…

Saix lands his Claymore in Xathe's abdomen and throws him far into the wall of windows. He doesn't stop there, for he rushes in again and prepares to lash out upon him.

If only Saix majored in speed…

Xathe bends down for Saix's attack to sweep over him, and then lands a powerful jab into Saix's torso. The aftermath of the hit, sends Saix air-born. Xathe's speed was too much. Saix had to be faster, or his Berserk strength would do him no good!

He leaps high in the air to grab onto Saix and spin the both of them around in a spiral. The spiral shoots forward, before Xathe throws Saix hard into the ground below.

Impact hits, taking the air from Saix's dry throat. Xathe makes a small slip-up, coming down with his Keyblade above his head. Saix quickly takes advantage and slams Xathe far down the hallway with his Claymore. A scream escapes Xathe's lips as he flies into the gray hallway and hits the floor, unconscious.

"My god… what the hell are you?!" Saix gasps for breath. Xemnas never said that Vanitas could become this powerful!

Xemnas lied…

…

Xathe slowly gets to his feet, once again. His body quakes and drips with sweat as he does so. This was it… the final draw.

Saix pulls back his Claymore; Xathe drawing out his Keyblade.

The two powerful warriors rush at each other, daggers clashing in their glares. Neither one was backing down… not from this!

As if everything goes in slow motion, Saix swings his Claymore and Xathe lunges forward in a last-resort thrust.

A slash of light flashes between them as they rush past each other and come to an instant stop…

…One of them was going down… one of them was hit… one of them had lost… and the other had finally won…

Silence lingers in the air once again as patience fills the two observers of the showdown. Patience, they may have had, but excitement was thick in the air…

Suddenly, a thud breaks the silence as one of them drops to their knees… and then to the floor. The fight was over…

…

…

**End of Chapter 22/Chapter 21 Pt. 2. Exciting, was it not? I enjoyed writing this Chapter a lot!**

**Like I said, leave all your thoughts and comments with Fredrick, here. He will be quite pleased with this. Thanks for reading guys!**

**R&R and I'll see you wonderful readers, later. -**_**KtD**_


	23. A New Leaf

_Chapter XXIII: A New Leaf_

**Well, my wonderful readers… it is time for the final Chapter of this story. But guess what!**

**I have a little surprise in store for you, at the end of the story! Make sure you R&R!**

**Much thanks and gratitude to all of my loyal watchers and reviewers! I can't thank you enough for all of your kindness and support of this story. **

**And still thanks to those who read my story but don't review it. You are still special to me. I don't expect reviews, of course. I just like them and appreciate them very much.**

**Thank you all! -**_**KtD**_

…

…

_**Day 358 and Day 1**_

…

A thud shatters the silence as one of the powerful fighters drops to their knees, vanquished.

Suddenly the room fades into a world of black and silence. Only two reside in the dark world of nowhere… Xathe and Saix.

Xathe stands in silence as he watches Saix kneel down in tiredness from the long fight. He grabs his chest in pain and stares up at Xathe with much shock in his eyes.

"I… I underestimated you…" Saix gasps slowly.

Xathe crosses his arms, "Well, you wouldn't have done that in the first place… had you not been lied to…"

"How did you know that Xemnas lied?" asks Saix.

"I could tell. Xemnas always pointed me out to be a weakling and a pest. I think you've figured it out, though."

Saix smirks with a weak chuckle, "It matters not… you cannot terminate Project XV… its progress is far too close to completion. Even if you killed me, here and now… it wouldn't make the slightest difference."

Xathe raises an eyebrow and glares suspiciously, "Is that so? I wonder if your tone would change if I did decide to kill you…?"

Saix shakes his head, chuckling. "You've changed. You're not that naïve little brat, that I once knew, anymore…"

Xathe uncrosses his arms and snarls, "What? What are you hiding from me, Saix?!"

"Like I would actually tell you? Let's just say that… we've met somewhere else… a long time ago…"

"That tells me nothing! The only Saix I know is a selfish jerk who only wishes harm on others! I would never be friends with someone like you," Xathe spits.

"So ironic… you said the opposite to me, last time we met. Perhaps your memory wipe didn't benefit our plan as much as Xemnas thought it would."

Xathe exasperates in defeat, "I will find out eventually. But for now… we're going to have to save this for another time. And even though I hate to admit it… I hope we meet again…" Xathe pauses. The next thing that he says comes out subconsciously, "…Isa."

Saix closes his eyes with a half-smile, "Maybe so… but next time, you will be the one to bow…"

Xathe smirks, "Whatever…"

A silence lingers between them. But soon enough, Xathe gets fed up with it.

"In your miscalculation…" Xathe's voice suddenly changes to the voice of Vanitas, "… you made this fight a waste of my time."

Xathe turns around… and simply walks away.

Every step that he takes away from Saix, the world of black fades away more and more.

Saix glares at him as he walks away, silently. "You may have changed, Tahe`… but you're still as much of a fool as before…"

And with that, the world of darkness around them fades into disappearance. The light of the physical world swarms into their vision once again.

…

…

…

Xathe opens his bloodshot eyes and spins around to see Saix drop to his knees and then onto his face. The battle was over…

"Great job, Saix!" Xigbar shouts angrily, aiming his arrow-guns up and preparing to open fire upon Xathe and the unknown man.

"You think that your pathetic little toys are going to-" Xathe feels all the energy in his body leave him suddenly. "-damn it…"

Xathe timbers over but is quickly caught by the hooded man and he picks him up into his strong arms.

The man quickly turns around and uses one hand to summon a barrier around him and Xathe. Xigbar's lasers slam against the barrier over and over again as Xigbar teleports to different angles in trying to destroy the dense shield.

"Come on, Xathe. Let's go. I think I've fetched enough Nobodies by now…" The hooded man grumbles, lifting Xathe up and carrying him under the pit of the man's arm.

A dark corridor opens in front of them and Namine` quickly rushes out to help the hooded man.

"Thank you so much, Riku… I can't thank you enough for this!" Namine` gasps, pulling Xathe's arm around her shoulders and dragging him into the dark corridor.

"It's fine… just make sure he doesn't get away again.'Cuz I'm not going after him a third time…" The hooded man, Riku, growls.

Namine` pulls Xathe in and Riku follows them in as well, letting the barrier fall behind him. The corridor then closes in sync with the spell's end.

…

…

…

Xigbar watches the dark corridor disappear and he curses under his breath. "I almost had them, too…"

He drops down from the air and lands gracefully on both feet.

"Man… what am I gonna tell Xemnas?" Xigbar mumbles.

"You needn't tell me anything…"

Xigbar turns around to see Xemnas walking past Saix, who is now picking himself up from the floor.

"Superior, I-"

Xemnas holds his palm out to Xigbar and interrupts him, "No need to explain yourself. You and Saix played your parts nicely. This was all the final stage of Project XV…"

Saix gets to his feet and holds a hand on his ribs, "What? But did you not say that Xathe was to remain imprisoned here? He escaped, Xemnas."

"Indeed, that's what I said. But… that was never the plan. I lied to you so that you would fight Xathe in an effort to stop him," Xemnas explains.

"What?! So you were trying to screw us over?" Xigbar gasps.

Xemnas glares at him, "Of course not, you fool. Through you and Saix… you forced Xathe into a situation where he could not hold it back anymore…" Xemnas pauses. "He let the power of Darkness fill him. He is no longer a Nothing… he is one with the Darkness…"

Saix and Xigbar stare in surprise of Project XV's true plan.

"Now that Xathe has accepted the Darkness… we don't need to break him. Vanitas will fulfill the rest of our plot for us." Xemnas laughs.

"But Xemnas… why did Vanitas fight with Xathe, against us? Wouldn't he take that chance to control him?" Saix asks in confusion.

A smirk crosses Xemnas' lips, "Vanitas has his own agenda in mind, for now. He is willing to be half of a heart for the time being… but eventually he'll want to find where his true counterpart sleeps…"

"You mean…-?"

Xemnas nods slowly. "He feels at home in my son's body… but he needs the other half of his heart if he is going to truly stay in existence."

Saix and Xigbar smirk deviously.

"Project XV has succeeded. Now we must continue our work. Patience will be needed if Vanitas is to be released from Xathe. For now… we resume our conquest for Kingdom Hearts…"

"Yes, Superior…" Xigbar and Saix exclaim, nodding and disappearing into dark corridors.

…

"Xathe, my son… we may never meet again… but I know that you were not meant to exist. That makes this plan more worth it on your end of the deal. But it's okay… you're not alone…"

Xemnas looks down with slight guilt and remorse.

"I should not exist either…"

…

…

…

Xathe opens his eyes again, letting in the light of the physical world around him. He didn't like the light… but it pleased him to know it wasn't the dull light of The Castle That Never Was.

He felt… comfortable.

…

Xathe sits up from the floor, which he was lazily laid down on, and looks around him in confusion.

He sighs in relief to see that he's in the Old Mansion again. The place had a peaceful nature to it that Xathe always felt comfortable in…

Xathe slowly gets to his feet, rubbing the back of his head in slight pain. If only Vanitas didn't have side-effects to his abilities…

"I need to go. There's places I need to be; things that need to be taken care of," Xathe whispers, looking around for two specific things: paper and pencil.

And as he expected, he found them on the table where Namine` usually sits at.

Xathe walks over to the table and picks the pencil up in his right hand, holding the sketchbook down with his left. He then begins to write.

'_Dear Namine`…_'

…

…

…

Namine` walks into her room in the Old Mansion, making sure that Xathe was sound asleep.

"Xathe?" she gasps, not finding the mysterious Nobody anywhere in the room. "Oh no! He must have woke up, just a little while ago."

All the panic that goes through her head fades as two words on a small, folded-up piece of paper catches her eye.

"_Dear Namine`…_" Namine` whispers, walking up to the table and picking up the note to read its unknown contents. Anything could be contained inside of the note. A journal entry, a letter to Xion, a testimony, a death note… it could be a letter from Organization XIII for all she knew!

She unfolds the letter… to find none of those things that she thought it might be. It was simply… a letter to her, alone.

'_I know you might be worried… or maybe not. But either way, if you are reading this letter… I'd like to say, Thanks._

_Thanks for everything you did for me. I should probably be mad at you for taking away my memories… but you did it out of fear, so I can understand that._

_Not the fear part, mind you…_

_But anyways… I've done a lot of wrong over the past couple years. I plan to make it up to you for that. You and that one girl that I can't seem to remember. Either way, I made an oath to you before I defeated Xetah. An oath that I plan to keep…_

_An oath… to change my path…'_

…

King Mickey slowly walks across the dead, sandy ground of the Badlands.

Reliving old and painful memories was not an easy thing to do. Especially not for this mouse…

He stops at the sound of alien footsteps… ones that are following him.

"How did you find me…?" Mickey asks the unknown stranger.

The man remains silent.

Mickey turns around, his black cloak swaying in the gust of wind. "You've followed me for this long now. I think I deserve an explanation as to why, don't ya think?"

The stranger looks down and slowly reaches his hands towards the rims of his hood. Ever so carefully… he removes the black hood from his head.

"You… but… I thought you were gone…" Mickey gasps.

The stranger smirks, "If I'm gone… then how am I here?"

Mickey crosses his arms and raises a brow, "Well… we are in the Badlands. This is the last place I saw ya. For all I know, you could be a ghost!"

This makes the stranger chuckle lightly. "Not quite… but close enough, I suppose. I'm a Nobody now."

The King sighs, "That would explain the outfit. So… have you been sent from the Organization to destroy me?"

Mickey tenses up, hoping that his old friend hasn't strayed **that** far away from his original path.

"Of course not. But just for the record… your Organization get-up isn't fooling me. I could see those ears a mile away. You might fool Demyx… but the others aren't as stupid."

Mickey is taken aback and pulls down on his ears to make him look more normal.

"Still kinda obvious…" The stranger laughs, casually.

The mouse gives up and lets go of his ears, in defeat. "So… what brings you here, then? You've come an awful long ways from home…"

"Home… haven't felt the meaning of that word in… I can't even remember, now." The teen pauses. "Anyways… I want to make an agreement with you…"

"An agreement? What kind of agreement, Tahe`? Or… I guess you don't go by that name anymore, huh?" asks Mickey.

The teen smirks, "No… but you can call me Xathe. Funny… I can't remember your name or anything about you… but I do remember one thing…"

Mickey looks up at him.

"That you can be trusted…" finishes Xathe.

Mickey smiles, "So about this agreement…?"

…

'_My oath comes at a price though, Namine`._

_I need you to promise me that we'll meet again someday. Before I fade… I want to have the comfort of knowing that your smile was the last thing I got to see in my empty life. I always loved your smile after all…_

_I'm making a gamble… one that will put my life on the line. One that I hope will erase my existence._

_I miss Tahe`. I feel like he's the thing missing in my life. His heart should be the one beating in my hollow chest, not Vanitas'. Vanitas needs to find where he belongs as well._

_It's a sad and lonely search… to find where we belong…_

_But we all find it eventually, right? I'm honestly not sure where my place is anymore. Half of me wants to be sitting with you. We could laugh about crazy stuff and share memories together. But the other half knows that I shouldn't be existing and that my body should belong to Tahe`…_

_Who knows… maybe when I get my heart back, we can be friends as humans again. I really hope so…_'

…

Axel walks down the hallway of the Castle That Never Was. His duty was to find Roxas and bring him back, no matter the cost.

He only wished that things could be easier. He really enjoyed that one day… that day when he, Roxas, Xion, Demyx, and Xathe all arm-wrestled. They didn't do it for any real reason. It was just for the heck of it!

That's what made Axel happy… the small things.

He once heard from someone… probably some wise, old guy… that you enjoy the simplest things in life the most. Those tiny, insignificant memories are usually the most enjoyed and the most memorable.

"If only things could be that way again…" Axel sighs, almost sadly. But of course… he was a Nobody.

He couldn't feel sadness or any of those emotions… right?

…

Saix stares at the floor of his room in silence.

He's always been cold and ruthless. He had no heart after all. Who else could he be, besides a terrible monster? He was Tahe`'s worst nightmare… yet Saix just won't let it go!

What was it about that meaningless friendship that he once had that is making him so… so… distraught?

It doesn't make sense.

Isa… Lea… Tahe`… all three of them are dead. All that remains is fragments of that threesome. Xathe hates Saix, Saix finds humor in tormenting Xathe, Axel is ticked off at Saix, Saix is ticked off at Axel, and Axel is trying to restore his friendship with Xathe.

Why isn't Saix trying to do the same as Axel?

Because he didn't need any pathetic impediments to keep him from achieving his goal. His old friendships will only distract him. Or at least… that's what he keeps telling himself.

"I can worry about such things later. When I have my heart back… then I **might** see if I can forgive those two idiots. For now, Axel and Xathe are on their own. I want no part in that false friendship that they desperately search for…" Saix affirms.

He then returns to his duties… pretending that Axel and Xathe never existed.

…

Demyx strums the last note in the sad song that he wrote for Xathe. He decided to get Xathe off his mind the old fashioned way… saying goodbye.

He was never good with speeches and all of that… but he's always been good at making music!

Okay… yeah… Demyx left the door to Xathe's cell open on purpose… but nobody has to know about it, right? What **did** Demyx do anyways? Riiight?

"Seeya, Xathe. Hmm… maybe I'll see ya again, real soon. Yeah, that would be awesome! I'll look forward to that! I should go mark it on my calendar!" Demyx shouts enthusiastically.

He jumps up from his bed but then trips and falls on his face dramatically.

Demyx just lays there for a moment in complete silence…

He lifts his face from the floor, "Oh yeah, I forgot! We don't have a calendar, do we?"

…

'_Friendship has always been the most important thing in the world to me._

_And for a long time… I thought that I had no friends. I felt like nobody cared. But now I've opened my eyes. I was living in a world where everything was shrouded by a dense fog._

_That fog was my blindness, my arrogance, and my selfishness._

_But now I see my friends. I've got Axel… Roxas… Vanitas… that one girl… and you._

_They say that we Nobodies always return to Darkness once we fade… but I believe that there are so many more possibilities. They're countless, even!_

_But I want you to remember, Namine`…_

_If I ever have to face Organization XIII again, in my life…_

_I will not be afraid… I will stand my ground… because I'll know that I'm not alone. I will turn to you…_

_When I seek my sanctuary… I will turn to you…_

_-Sincerely, Xathe_'

…

Namine` gently lays the note back down on the table.

"Thank you… Xathe. I'll keep my end of the deal. I promise… we will meet again… soon."

A tear slides down her cheek as one of Xathe's precious smiles spreads across her lips.

…

…

…

Roxas walks steadily towards the opened memory pod. This was him… Sora.

It's time to make things right.

Yes… Roxas was very angry at the chain of events that have been taking place, lately. There just… wasn't much he could do about it though…

His fate has been decided; his destiny intertwined with Sora's.

This was his purpose… to become one with Sora again. He knew it…

"You're so lucky…" he pauses, his smile wavering to sadness. "… It looks like my summer vacation is… over…"

With that… Roxas continues his slow pace towards the giant memory pod… mere feet away from joining with the dormant Sora…

…

…

…

Mickey nods, "I'll keep that promise. You'll keep yours too, won't you?"

Xathe chuckles, "But of course. I promise."

Mickey holds out his pinkie and grins. Xathe smirks in response and bends down to stick his pinkie out as well.

Their two fingers interlock and they both say in sync, "Promise."

With that, Xathe gets his cold glare back onto his expression and he pulls his hood over his head.

The two new friends turn away from each other and walk away. In so, they leave behind their happy reunion to fade into the loneliness of the Badlands.

…

Meanwhile, a masked boy watches the scene from afar. He stands straight and strong, dressed in a black and white organic body-suit. The suit is made to look like muscle tissue and the white symbols on his chest resemble veins of ivory. A strange symbol is engraved on his mysterious face-covering helmet.

"The time is drawing near…" he whispers, his voice deep with a monotone. Though it was just a whisper… his voice carries through the empty gusts of wind.

And as fast as it seemed he had appeared… he fades away into the wind…

…

…

…

Xathe stands at the clock-tower of Twilight Town, a cold glare plastered to his face.

"I've gone through so much over the past year… from my awakening at Castle Oblivion… to my encounter with Xetah… to the death of that one girl… to the end of my career. So much has come and gone… so much has been achieved and rediscovered…"

Xathe pauses. The wind blows dramatically against his black cloak, making the hood and bottom of the coat float with the breeze.

"… but I don't think this is over, yet. Not by a long-shot…"

He looks up at the sunset, just one more time. A dark corridor appears around him as he prepares to disappear.

"No… this is only the beginning. Xemnas… Saix… Xigbar… pray for salvation… because a new kid is in town… and he's coming for you."

Xathe smiles deviously as the dark corridor surrounds him.

"My journey will begin anew as well… but this kid is the hope of the worlds… the Keyblade master…"

…

…

…

The eyes of the Keyblade master open as he is reunited with Roxas. His body now awakened and filled with the warmth of life…

…

…

…

Xathe smirks one last time, his body disappearing into the dark corridor.

"…Sora…"

…

…

_The End_

**Bam!**

**How was that for a last Chapter?! :D**

**Read and review, everyone! Do you want a sequel? Do you want more answers? Tell me, yourself!**

**Again, I can't thank you all enough for your support! You made this thing from a little plot bunny to a complete story!**

**Thank you all, and Fredrick says thanks as well!**

**Special Thanks For Ideas/Suggestions Goes to:  
Godskeybladewarrior  
Diabowserker  
XIIIXV  
The Legendary Dragon Master  
and all my friends who took the time to read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything associated with it. Only Xathe and all the OC's in this story. Please support the original owners. Thank you.**

_**~The Key To Darkness~**_


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